Moon Phases
Tue., July 3, 2:52 p.m. EDT
Full Moon
The full moon of July is usually called the hay moon. In
Algonquian it is called the buck moon. Other names are thunder moon and mead
moon. In Hindi it is known as guru purnima. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is
esala. The full moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only
night in the month when the moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the
month, the moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Tue., July 10, 9:48 p.m. EDT
Last Quarter Moon
The last or third quarter moon rises around 12:20 a.m. and
sets around 2:30 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern
sky.
Thu., July 19, 12:24 a.m. EDT
New Moon
The moon is not visible on the date of new moon because it
is too close to the sun, but can be seen low in the east as a narrow crescent a
morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the west an
evening or two after new moon.
Thu., July 26, 4:56 a.m. EDT
First Quarter Moon
The first quarter moon rises around 1:15 p.m. and sets
around midnight.
Observing Highlights
Tue., July 10, morning
Conjunction of Venus and Aldebaran
Venus will be in close conjunction with Aldebaran, with
Jupiter nearby.
Thu., July 12, morning
Venus at maximum brilliance
Venus will be at its brightest for this morning apparition,
magnitude –4.7.
Sat., July 14, 4:55 a.m.–5:18 a.m. EDT
Double satellite transit on Jupiter
Jupiter’s satellites Io and Europa move across the face of
Jupiter at dawn for viewers on North America’s east coast. Io’s shadow is also
in transit.
Sun., July 15, dawn
Jupiter, Venus and the moon
A triple conjunction frames the crescent moon with the two
brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter.
The Moon will occult Jupiter as seen from Europe except
British Isles and Scandinavia, N Africa, Middle East, Russia, N China, Japan,
and Korea.
Fri., July 20, evening
Mercury and the moon
A close encounter between Mercury and the moon, best seen
from the southern hemisphere, as in this view from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sat., July 21, 2:51 a.m.–5:05 a.m. PDT
Satellite action on Jupiter
Jupiter’s satellites Io and Europa cross the face of
Jupiter, preceded by their shadows. Europa’s shadow is just leaving on the
right as Io’s shadow enters on the left. Best seen from the west coast of North
America.
Tue., July 24, evening
Quadruple conjunction
The Moon, two planets (Mars and Saturn), and the bright star
Spica join in a quadruple conjunction.
Planets
Mercury is in the
evening sky for the first half of July, best observed from the southern
hemisphere.
Venus is now a
morning “star,” low in the east at sunrise. It reaches greatest brilliancy on
July 12.
Mars is shrinking
rapidly in size and brightness, located in Virgo. Mars is high in the southwest
at sunset and sets around midnight.
Jupiter is in the
morning sky in Taurus. It is close to Venus all month.
Saturn continues to
be a bright object in Virgo,
setting around 12:30 a.m.
Uranus spends all
month in the morning sky in the northwestern corner of the constellation Cetus,
a rather strange place for a planet to be, since it is not one of the twelve
zodiac constellations.
Neptune rises around
10:30 p.m. in Aquarius, and is visible the rest of the night.
Geoff Gaherty
Starry Night Software Support
