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, the largest planet in the solar system, shines at its best for the year this week. It rises at sunset and sets around sunrise. It is brightest for the year, too, outshining everything else in the night sky except the Moon and Venus.
Ursa Major, the great bear, is high in the north on May evenings. The bear’s body and tail form the Big Dipper. The bear aims nose-first at the northern horizon.
The planet Mars is in great view early tomorrow. It looks like a bright orange star just to the lower right of the Moon as the first blush of twilight begins to paint the sky. Mars will grow much brighter over the next couple of months.
Mars and Saturn will be easy to spot early tomorrow, because they will flank the Moon. Saturn will stand to the right of the Moon at first light, with Mars a little farther to the lower left of the Moon. Orange Mars is the brighter planet.
The Moon will stand almost due south at first light tomorrow. The bright planet Saturn will be close to its lower left, with the brighter planet Mars a good bit farther along the same line.
Centaurus, the centaur, hugs the southern horizon this month, and stands due south in late evening. The brightest star of Centaurus that is visible from the United States is Theta Centauri.
In Britain, today is known as May Day. In ancient times, it marked the beginning of summer, not the middle of spring. It is one of the year’s four cross-quarter days, which come roughly half way between a solstice and an equinox.
Orion, one of the most beautiful constellations, is putting in its final evening appearance of the season over the next few nights. It soon will disappear in the Sun’s glare. The next time we see it, it will be in the morning sky shortly before sunrise.
The mighty planet Jupiter looks like a brilliant star. And tonight, it has a close companion: the full Moon. Jupiter is to the lower left of the Moon at nightfall, and follows the Moon across the sky later on.
Two bright lights are passing close to each other in the western evening sky. The brighter light is Venus, the brilliant “evening star.” The other one, to the left or upper left of Venus tonight, is Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the bull.
