The July Night sky
On the 6th July the Earth is at it’s furthest from the Sun at just over 152 million kilometres away. On the 3rd of this month we have the first all the four super moons this year. The Moon will be just 357,418 kilometres away and it will be 30% brighter than the faintest full Moon.
The full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon as it is the time of year that male deer shed their antlers and begin to regrow them in July.
As the sky becomes darker and the stars slowly emerge, pick out the star patterns on display in the middle of the year. Low in the south are Sagittarius and Scorpius, embedded in the glorious heart of the Milky Way. Higher in the sky, the prominent Summer triangle is composed of Vega, Deneb and Altair, the leading lights of Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila. The Plough is in the north west and the Milky Way, which arches high across our eastern sky from Sagittarius and Scorpius low in the south to Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Perseus in the north east.
The Planets:-
MERCURY
A good pair of binoculars will assist you to see elusive Mercury low on the north western horizon. On the 7th of this month the innermost planet forms a striking pair with the narrow crescent Moon. The best views of Mercury will be early in the month, when it is at its brightest magnitude of –0.5. By the time of Mercury’s greatest separation from the Sun on 22nd July, it will have faded to magnitude +0.5.
VENUS
Venus will too close to the Sun for observation this month.
MARS
The red planet travels from Aries into the neighbouring constellation of Taurus during July. Mars is slightly fainter than Saturn, at magnitude +1.1, and rises above the horizon about 1am. The crescent Moon is near the red planet on the mornings of 1st and 2nd July. On the mornings of 15th and 16th of this month, Mars passes near Uranus, and at the end of July it’s closing in on Jupiter, with Aldebaran below.
JUPITER
The gas giant planet can be found in the constellation of Taurus this month. Coming into view above the horizon around 1.30am. Shinning at magnitude –2.06. On the mornings of the 3rd 30th and 31st of July we will be treated to some spectacular groupings as the crescent Moon sails over Jupiter and will be close to the Pleiades star cluster, the red star Aldebaran and the planet Mars.
SATURN
Rising above the horizon about 11pm, the ring world can be found within the stars of Aquarius and shines at magnitude+0.8. The Moon is to the left of Saturn on the 24th of the month.
URANUS
Located in the constellation of Taurus, Uranus rises around 1am and is just visible to the unaided eye with a magnitude of +5.8. Mars will be a convenient guide to location of Uranus in the early hours of the 15th and 16th of this month. The green planet will be just 40 arc minutes above the red planet and is 80 times fainter. A good pair of binoculars will be of assistance. If you using a telescope it should bring out their colours. Contrast the reddest planet with the greenest world in the Solar System.
NEPTUNE
Dim Neptune at magnitude +7.7 can be located in the constellation of Pisces. The outermost planet rises above the horizon about 11.30pm.
PLUTO
This distant world rises above the horizon around 9.43pm. With a very faint magnitude of +14.4, using a telescope you will find it in the constellation of Sagittarius. It will be visible all night long.
CERES
The largest object in the asteroid belt can be located in the constellation of Sagittarius. At magnitude +7.5 it will fall below the horizon shortly after 3am.
Special Events:-
1st and 2nd July – The crescent Moon is close to Mars after 1am.
3rd July – Just before dawn breaks there will be a lovely sight, low in the north east as the sky brightens. The crescent Moon will be directly above the bright planet Jupiter with the nearby Pleiades star cluster just to the upper right.
7th July – The crescent Moon lies immediately above Mercury in the evening twilight. Best see in a pair of binoculars.
9th July – The Moon will be close to the star Regulus.
13th July – The first quarter Moon will be near the bright star Spica.
17th July – The Moon will be close to the star Antares.
24th July – The Moon will be close to the gas giant star Saturn.
30th July – Before dawn, look out for a beautiful tableau in the morning sky, with the crescent Moon next to the Pleiades star cluster, with Mars, Aldebaran and Jupiter forming a triangle to the lower left.
31st July – Before dawn there will be another striking sight in the sky, as Jupiter lies to the lower right of the narrow crescent Moon, at the apex of a triangle with fainter Mars and Aldebaran.
Meteor Showers:-
Around the 30th of this month we will see the annual peak of the Delta Aquarid meteor shower. It might be possible to see up to 20 meteors per hour. The best time to see this shower will be between midnight and dawn. Delta Aquariid meteors may come from Comet Machholz which was discovered by Donald Machholz in 1986.
Phases of the Moon for July:-
New Moon 5th July
First quarter 13th July
Full Moon 21st July
Last quarter 28th July