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, which is shining at its best this week, is in retrograde. Instead of its usual eastward motion against the stars, it’s moving to the west. Some see a planet’s retrograde period as an omen, but it’s simply a result of our changing viewing angle.
The Moon and the planet Venus, which is the brilliant Evening Star, put on a spectacular display tonight. They will be separated by the width of a couple of fingers held at arm’s length. They will remain in good view for more than two hours.
The shortest day of the year is the winter solstice, December 21. Yet the earliest sunsets come before the solstice, working from south to north. From the middle latitudes of the United States, the earliest sunsets will take place in a few days.
Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, is putting on its best performance of the year. It’s in view all night and shines brightest for the year. Look for it low in the east-northeast at nightfall, with the star Aldebaran to the right of Jupiter.
The Sun is entering Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer, which is the unofficial thirteenth constellation of the zodiac. The Sun will remain within its borders for a little more than two more weeks.
Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish, is in the south this evening. It contains only one bright star, Fomalhaut, which marks the fish’s mouth. The white star is just 25 light-years from Earth. It stands almost due south at nightfall.
One of the highlights of Eridanus, the river, is the Witch Head Nebula. It’s illuminated by Rigel, a brilliant star in nearby Orion. Rigel is to the right of Orion’s Belt, with the nebula, which is visible through a telescope, to Rigel’s upper right.
A dragon slithers low across the northern sky this evening, curling around the North Star. It is the long but faint constellation Draco. You need dark skies to make out its sinuous body.
The longer, cooler nights of late autumn bring one of the great skywatching treats of the year: the return of Orion to prime time viewing hours. The hunter is in good view in the east by about 8:30 or 9 p.m., and climbs high across the south later on.
Early tomorrow the Moon will block out Spica, the brightest star of Virgo. They climb into good view just a couple of hours before dawn. The vanishing act will be visible across most of the country, with the exact timing depending on your location.
