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.
The Moon and the star Antares, the heart of the scorpion, huddle especially close before dawn tomorrow. In fact, from some parts of the eastern United States, there won’t be any separation at all: The Moon will cover the star for a while, hiding it from view.
Many bright stars highlight the sky this evening. The list includes Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, which is also known as the Dog Star. Others include Regulus, the heart of the lion, and orange Betelgeuse and blue-white Rigel in Orion.
The remaining dates of 2024 will take a big leap, jumping over a day of the week. That’s because this is leap year, and today is leap day. The name “leap” comes from the fact that the extra day causes succeeding dates to leap over a day of the week.
Navi is the middle star in the “M” that outlines Cassiopeia. The crew of the first planned Apollo mission named three stars after themselves. Navi was the middle name of Gus Ivan Grissom spelled backwards. When the astronauts died in a fire, the names stuck.
Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, is so low in the sky that you need to be south of about Dallas to see it. Tonight, it will stand due south about 9 or 10 p.m., well below Sirius, the night sky’s brightest star.
Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is in the south at nightfall. If you keep your eye on it for a few seconds, you’ll see that Sirius twinkles fiercely. It gets brighter and fainter, and it changes color rapidly, from red to blue to pure white.
Rigel, the brightest star of Orion, stands due south at nightfall, marking one of the hunter’s feet. Rigel shines blue-white, forming a dramatic contrast to orange Betelgeuse, Orion’s second-brightest light.
Two variable stars are in view in winter’s evening sky. Algol, which consists of two stars that stage mutual eclipses, is in the west, in Perseus. Polaris, the North Star, pulses in and out like a beating heart. It stands where it always does, due north.
The full Moon has a bright companion tonight: Regulus, the brightest star of the constellation Leo. Regulus will stay close to the Moon all night. February’s full Moon is known as the Snow Moon, Wolf Moon, or Hunger Moon.
Dubhe, the star at the lip of the Big Dipper’s bowl, crouches low in the northeast as night falls, but wheels high across the north later on. Dubhe consists of two pairs of stars. The brighter pair is impressive, while the other is much less so.
