Scorpius and Sagittarius highlight July nights, scooting low across the south. Antares highlights the scorpion’s hook-shaped body, with teapot-shaped Sagittarius to its left. Under dark skies, the Milky Way rises from the teapot’s spout like steam. Meanwhile, the Big Dipper stands high in the north and northwest during the evening, with its handle to the upper left and bowl to the lower right.
The full Moon of July is known as the Hay Moon, Thunder Moon, or Apollo Moon.
Perigee July 13
Apogee July 25
Moon phases are Central Time.
Jupiter and Saturn, the solar system’s largest planets, are low in the southeast at nightfall and in the southwest at dawn. And the Moon and the planet Mars climb into good view by 1:30 or 2 a.m. Mars looks like a bright orange star to the upper right of the Moon.
Look for Mars near the Moon the next couple of mornings, high in the sky at first light. Mars is to the upper left of the Moon tomorrow, and to the upper right on Sunday.
Look for Mars near the Moon the next couple of mornings, high in the sky at first light. Mars is to the upper left of the Moon tomorrow, and to the upper right on Sunday.
At first light tomorrow, Venus, the morning star, will stand directly above Aldebaran, the star that marks the eye of Taurus. Over the following few days, Venus will slide down to the left of Aldebaran, then stand side by side with the bull’s eye.
At first light tomorrow, Venus, the morning star, will stand directly above Aldebaran, the star that marks the eye of Taurus. Over the following few days, Venus will slide down to the left of Aldebaran, then stand side by side with the bull’s eye.
Delphinus, the dolphin, climbs the eastern sky this evening, to the left or lower left of Altair, one of the points of the Summer Triangle. Four stars in Delphinus form a small diamond, with two others curving away to form the dolphin’s tail.
Delphinus, the dolphin, climbs the eastern sky this evening, to the left or lower left of Altair, one of the points of the Summer Triangle. Four stars in Delphinus form a small diamond, with two others curving away to form the dolphin’s tail.
A pattern of three bright stars known as the Summer Triangle stands high in the east by mid-evening. The stars that mark the triangle’s points are easy to find. They are Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus; Vega, in Lyra; and Altair, in Aquila.
A pattern of three bright stars known as the Summer Triangle stands high in the east by mid-evening. The stars that mark the triangle’s points are easy to find. They are Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus; Vega, in Lyra; and Altair, in Aquila.
Several stellar nurseries in Serpens Cauda, the tail of the snake, are busily churning out baby stars. The constellation is in the southeast at nightfall, above and to the upper right of the teapot outlined by some of the brightest stars of Sagittarius.
