I end my day beneath hundreds of glow-in-the-dark stars that form initials of past loves, imaginary solar systems and favorite constellations like Cassiopeia and Orion.

One thing I miss about living in the city is the night sky. In Massachusetts, I would lay in a lawn chair, wrapped in an afghan, and wish on the stars as they’d sparkle in the night sky. I’d reach 1,000 and give up counting their multitudes, instead remembering the story of the star that led the three kings to the manger or recall William Shakespeare’s exquisite line from Henry VI about using stars to foretell events — “Comets, importing change of time and states, Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky.”

Stargazers, like me, have an exciting month coming up.

August 7 – The crescent moon meets Venus low in the western sky at dusk.

August 8 – Neptune reaches its closest approach to Earth in the constellation Capricorn.

August 11 – 12 – The Perseids build up after midnight and peak before dawn.

August 20 – 27 – Mercury meets Saturn in Cancer in the predawn eastern sky.

August 31 – Venus and Jupiter make a two-day close approach at dusk.