This week's sky highlights include Mars lingering low in the western twilight, visible alongside Spica with binoculars. Venus and Jupiter shine brilliantly at early dawn, reaching a conjunction on August 12. The Perseid meteor shower peaks late August 12, though moonlight may obscure many meteors. The Big Dipper scoops low in the northwest, while Cassiopeia rises higher nightly. Vega and Deneb pass near the zenith around 10 p.m. and midnight, respectively. The last-quarter Moon rises late August 15, joined by the Pleiades. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are morning sky features, with Saturn's rings nearly edge-on. Star colors appear vivid in late twilight. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-august-8-17/