Skywatcher's Information for July 2003
Some information from www.space.com,[/url] [url]www.astronomy.com[/URL]
======================================================
Moon phases:
------------
July 6 - 1st quarter
July 13 - Full moon
July 21 - Last quarter
July 29 - New moon
Planets: (This part may need updating later this month, I'm not sure I have it all correct.)
--------
-Mercury is still poorly placed for observation for most of July. It may be viewed in the morning sky near the horizon at the beginnning of the month. Look very low in the East-northeast just at the beginning of dawn. Later in the month, a half hour after sunset it is only a few degrees above the west-northwestern horizon.
-Venus, like Mercury, is not all that well-placed for observing during July. Venus is low to the horizon, but look to the East-northeast before and around sunrise at the beginning of the month.
-Mars rises before midnight in Aquarius at the beginning of the month. Its brightness and observability continue to improve until its "super opposition" at the end of August.
-Jupiter is in the western sky at nightfall, (in or to the West of Cancer?). Although low in the sky, it is still bright.
-Saturn is still too close to the Sun in early July to be observed from the Northern Hemisphere. It conjuncted with the Sun (that is, it is more or less in line with the Sun) on June 24. Later in the month it may be viewable.
Day-by-day: (All times ET unless noted)
-----------
Wednesday, 7/2
-Moon passes Jupiter, 5 p.m. (Jupiter 4 degrees south of moon)
This is similar to the passage last month, but the Moon is much thinner. The closest passage (about 4 degrees) comes in late afternoon, but the two are visible in the western twilight shortly after sunset. Jupiter will be just below the thin crescent Moon.
-Juno stationary
Friday, 7/4
-Earth at Aphelion, 2 a.m.
You could get up early to watch this, but don't expect fireworks (they come later). There really is nothing in particular to see. The aphelion is that point in the Earth's orbit at which it is farthest from the Sun. In this case it is 152,100,400 km (94,511,000 miles) away from our local life-giving luminary.
Saturday, 7/5
-Mercury in superior conjunction
Sunday, 7/6
-First Quarter Moon, 10:32 p.m.
Look for this "D" Moon in the southwest quadrant of the sky earlier in the evening, with Spica in Virgo about 10 degrees to the lower left. About 30 degrees above and slightly to the left is bright Arcturus in Bootes.
Tuesday, 7/8
-Venus 0.8° north of Saturn
Thursday, 7/10
-Moon at perigee
Sunday, 7/13
-Full Moon, 3:21 p.m.
In a kind of seesaw arrangement, while the Sun is high in the Summer, the Full Moon is low. This Full Moon will rise shortly after sunset, and at its highest point, which it reaches after midnight, it is low in the southern sky between Sagittarius and Capricornus. Full Moon Fever
Wednesday, 7/16
-Uranus 5 degrees north of moon
Thursday, 7/17
-Moon passes Mars, 4 a.m.
This is very close passage between the Moon and Mars. In fact, it is an occultation (eclipse) as viewed from locations in Central America, parts of the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere. Unfortunately for most folks in the populous areas of the Northern Hemisphere, this is just a close approach and passage, but it should be quite a nice sight, with Mars less than the width of the Moon away from the lunar orb.
Monday 7/21
-Last Quarter Moon, 3:01 a.m.
Between the two quarter Moons (first and last, or third) the Last Quarter is the one less observed. In fact, it is above the horizon and potentially visible just as much as the First Quarter Moon, but it has poor timing. On the average, this Moon rises around midnight, after most folks have gone to bed. It is in the sky until about noon the next day, but few people notice it in the bright day lit sky.
Tuesday, 7/22
-Moon at apogee
Friday, 7/25
-Mercury passes Jupiter, 9 p.m. (Mercury 0.4 degrees north of Jupiter)
These two planets are very close in the western twilight. At closest approach they are separated by only about a third of a degree. Unfortunately, a half hour after sunset they are only a few degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. Given clear skies and a low view to the west, they should be visible perhaps 15 degrees to the left of the setting point of the Sun. Look with binoculars. Mercury is only slightly dimmer than Jupiter, and is just above and to the right of the King of Planets.
Saturday, 7/26
-Saturn 4 degrees south of moon
Sunday, 7/27
-Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower "starts" (see Monday 7/28)
Monday, 7/28
-South Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower peak, 2 a.m.
Although hardly comparable to the Persieds coming up in about two weeks, the South Delta Aquarids have a major advantage this year – no Moon to interfere. This shower radiates from Aquarius, which at 2 a.m. is well up in the south-southeastern sky, to the left of the "boomerang" shape of Capricornus. At peak, a sharp-eyed observer with clear dark skies should see about 20 meteors per hour. (This shower has a broad peak, so if you miss it by a day one way or the other, you should still see meteors from the shower.)
Tuesday, 7/29
-New Moon, 2:53 a.m.
You can't see it, but it improves star, planet and meteor watching.
-Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower continues
Wednesday, 7/30
-Delta Aquarid meteor shower continues
-Mars stationary
-Jupiter 4 degrees south of moon
-Mercury 0.2 degrees north of Regulus
-Mercury 5 degrees south of moon
-Jupiter, Mercury & the Moon, early evening
This is a difficult observation, quite low in the west-northwestern sky shortly after sunset. Lowest in the sky is Jupiter, now significantly brighter than Mercury, which is a few degrees above and the left of the brighter planet. The star Regulus is just to the lower right of Mars, and a very thin Crescent Moon is just above it and to the right. The Moon is the highest of all of these in the sky, but even it is only 8-10 degrees high about a half-hour after sunset.
