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.
July is an “imperial” month. In the original Roman calendar it was the fifth month of the year, named Quintilis. Julius Caesar reworked the calendar, however, and made Quintilis the seventh month. The Roman senate changed its name to Julius — July.
Eltanin, the brightest star of the constellation Draco, the dragon, is about two-thirds of the way up the northeastern sky at nightfall. It is a moderately bright orange star, and stands well to the upper left of brighter Vega.
The Moon reaches a point in its orbit known as perigee this evening — its closest approach to Earth. It will be roughly 229,260 miles away. As a result, the Moon will look a bit larger than average, although not enough for most skywatchers to notice.
Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo, perches nar the Moon tonight. It stands to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall, and is closer to the Moon as they set around 1 or 2 a.m.
A scraggly wolf pads low across the southern evening sky at this time of year. Lupus is to the lower right of Scorpius, the scorpion. Unlike Scorpius, though, you need a fairly dark sky to see it.
A pair of star clusters stands near the tail of Scorpius, which is low in the south-southeast at nightfall. The brighter one is Messier 7, to the left of the stars that mark the scorpion’s stinger. The other cluster, Messier 6, is above M7.
Scorpius is low in the southern sky at nightfall, with its brightest star, Antares, near its middle. The tail curls to the lower left of Antares. It forms a hook, with the barbed stinger at the end.
The Moon passes Regulus, the heart of the lion, over the next couple of nights. The star stands to the left or upper left of the Moon tonight, and to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.
M44, the Beehive Cluster, is low in the west-northwest as night falls. It’s a little easier to spot than usual tonight because it is near the crescent Moon. Binoculars will reveal a swarm of stars close to the lower left of the Moon.
Delphinus, the dolphin, glides through the Milky Way on summer evenings. It rises in early evening and arcs high across the south during the night. Look below the Summer Triangle, which is well up in the east and northeast at nightfall.
