From an earthly perspective, Saturn — found now on the border of the constellations Aquarius and Capricornus — and the sun are opposite one another. Think of opposition as a “full Saturn,” much like a full moon. By 2 a.m. now, Saturn will be due south and it will be in the western sky before sunrise.

Jupiter — our other favorite gaseous giant — rises in the east just before midnight. You’ll find it bordering the constellations Cetus (the whale) and Pisces. It reaches -2.9 magnitude, making it exceptionally bright in August, according to the observatory. Jupiter reaches opposition in September.

Just after midnight now, our reddish neighbor Mars ascends into the east-northeastern sky. It loiters in the eastern sky above the constellation Taurus before sunrise. While zero magnitude now, this red-tinted planet gets brighter for the rest of the year. We’ll see the Mars opposition in December.

As glorious as ever, Venus (-3.9 magnitude, incredibly bright) rises around 4:15 a.m. now in the east-northeast. The sun follows. You will find our other neighboring planet chilling with the twins in the Gemini constellation.

Thus, the morning presents Venus in the east, Mars high in the southeast, Jupiter in the south and Saturn in the western heavens. The waning moon sneaks past Jupiter on Aug. 15 and scoots past Mars on Aug. 19.

The Perseid meteors — arguably popular skygazing’s most famous shooting stars — are back in August, but they compete for attention from a fat moon at their peak on Aug. 12/13, according to the American Meteor Society.

Generally, the Perseids peak at 80 to 100 shooting stars an hour in dark skies in a good year. This is not a good year. Because of the brightness of the full moon, this year’s spectacle will mostly be washed out. (The moon is officially full before midnight Aug. 11, according to the observatory.)

The good news is you don’t need to see the Perseids at their peak. This week is a good time to catch a few shooting stars several hours before sunrise. Meteors are made when Earth’s atmosphere makes contact with the dusty trails of comets gone by. Get away from streetlights and be patient. The parent comet of the Perseids is Comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered by the astronomer Horace P. Tuttle, as he observed the sky from near Boston, and Lewis Swift, at Marathon, N.Y., in 1862 — the middle of the Civil War. Tuttle went on to become an astronomer at the Naval Observatory. He died in 1923 and is buried in an unmarked grave at Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church.

Down-to-Earth Events:

* Aug. 6 — Stargaze at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., with telescopes provided by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC). Meet at the bus parking lot, but park at the main visitor lot. 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. GPS: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Va., 20151. NOVAC Information: shorturl.at/lns17. Museum detail: shorturl.at/anq15

* Aug. 27 — Enjoy the starry heavens at Sky Meadows State Park in Fauquier County with NASA Jet Propulsion Lab ambassadors providing an astronomy program and members of NOVAC offering views through telescopes. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. GPS: 11012 Edmonds Lane, Delaplane, Va., 20144. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. NOVAC: novac.com. Sky Meadows: shorturl.at/cuEFS. Park fee: $10.

Blaine Friedlander can be reached at SkyWatchPost@gmail.com.