Ocean Temps Dropping Soon
Warm Water Temperatures, into the 70s Fahrenheit over the past several weeks, won't last much longer. As fall approaches, shorter days and increasingly oblique solar radiation will mean that less and less energy will be supplied to the ocean waters …
The August Sky
The Planet Jupiter simply dominates the early-evening eastern sky as August draws to a close. As seen by the naked eye, Jupiter appears as a gleaming yellowish pinpoint of light. High-power binoculars, if held steadily enough, can reveal a barely …
True Jasmine vs. Star Jasmine
Jasmine's thick, sweet odor wafts on the night breezes this time of year, especially throughout the older, well-landscaped neighborhoods of San Diego. The exotic odor is produced by the flowers of true jasmines (genus Jasminum), as opposed to the so-called …
Crescent Moon Tonight
The Crescent Moon returns to the evening sky as a left-leaning, thin smile of light on Saturday, August 22. Look low in the southwestern sky at dusk (7:30-8pm) to spot it. On successive evenings, at the same hour, that smile …
The Milky Way
The Milky Way appears at its most glorious during August summer evenings free of bright moonlight (this year, these evenings occur through about August 24). You'll need to be in the mountains or the desert to see the Milky Way …
Grunion Should Be Eaten (Not Wasted)
Grunion may be active again on area beaches (probably for the last time this year) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, August 20-22, roughly during the hours of 10pm and 1am, just after the nocturnal highest tide. The small, silvery …
Extreme Low August Tides
The lowest-level extreme tides for the month of August will occur on several occasions next week during the wee hours of the morning. Tuesday, August 18 features a -1.1 foot tide at 2:34am. On Wednesday, there's a -1.3 foot low …
Venus-Moon Pairings
The waning crescent moon joins lanternlike Venus in the eastern sky at dawn on the mornings of Monday, August 17, and Tuesday, August 18. Several more moon-Venus pairings will occur more-or-less monthly in the morning sky until Venus virtually disappears …
The Perseid Meteor Shower
The best known of the many meteor displays that return year after year, the Perseid Meteor Shower will take place under fairly poor conditions this year because of the glare of the moon, which will be in a waning gibbous …
Geography of Contrast
Towering thunderheads have been seen hovering over the wall of mountains east of San Diego in recent weeks. Afternoon rainshowers have already dampened Palomar, Cuyamaca, and Mount Laguna on occasion, with more of the same expected at times during the …
Grunion & Sandpipers
Grunion will be active on area beaches this week (Wednesday through Saturday, August 5-8), roughly during the hours of 10pm and 1am, following the nocturnal high tide. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping beaches such …
Full Moon Tonight
August's Full Moon rises regally from the east horizon on Wednesday, the 5th, at around 7:40 p.m., close to the time of sunset. This sun-set/moon-rise synchronicity is characteristic of every full moon, because the sun, planet Earth, and the full …
America's Finest Weather
San Diego's Warmest Weather, on average, should occur in August through early September, according to statistics compiled from several decades of measurements taken near the San Diego International Airport. In an average year, coastal residents enjoy an average daily temperature …