Read our July sky notes to find out what’s in the night sky this month!
Map
Constellations
These constellations are well placed in the evening this month, but many more can be seen. Check the star map for more.
Draco is a circumpolar constellation that can be found near to Polaris, the Pole Star. It can be seen in the northern sky all night and due to its proximity to the pole, stays in the north all month.
Pegasus appears in the eastern sky at sunset and rises higher as the night goes on. It can be identified by the bright Great Square of Pegasus.
Perseus rises a little after sunset in the north western sky. It gets higher as the night goes on, reaching its highest point just before dawn when it can be seen the best.
Planets
Mercury is too close to the Sun to be seen this month. The following events are therefore unobservable: perihelion on the 10th, superior solar conjunction on the 16th, and in conjunction with the Moon on the 29th.
Venus is difficult to observe this month due to its position relative to the Sun. However, it may be seen extremely low on the north eastern horizon just before sunrise. A clear horizon will be necessary. Venus is in conjunction with the Moon on the 26th.
Mars rises due east in the early hours of the morning. Best views will be just before dawn at the end of the month, when it reaches its highest point. Mars will undergo lunar occultation and be in conjunction with the Moon on the 21st.
Jupiter rises due east in the early hours of the morning, moving towards the southern sky as the night goes on. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 19th, and enters retrograde motion on the 28th.
Saturn rises in the early hours of the morning and crosses the southern sky, before disappearing at dawn. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 15th.
Uranus is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. It is located in the eastern sky, rising in the early morning, earlier as the month goes on. Uranus undergoes lunar occultation on the 22nd.
Neptune is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. It rises after midnight in the eastern sky, moving up and across towards the southern sky over the course of the night.
Meteor Showers
The Piscis Austrinids reach their peak on the night of the 29th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus. Meteors will be visible after 00:17 BST and continue through until dawn. Best displays are likely to be shortly before sunrise as Piscis Austrinus reaches its highest point around 03:00 BST. You will be able to see around 5 meteors per hour, but the shower will be low on the horizon and therefore difficult to observe.
The Southern δ-Aquariids reach their peak on the night of the 30th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Aquarius. Meteors will be visible after 22:31 BST and continue through until dawn. Best displays are likely to be just before dawn as Aquarius reaches its highest point around 03:00 BST. You will be able to see around 9 meteors per hour.
The α-Capricornids reach their peak on the night of the 30th. The radiant (apparent origin point) of the meteors will be in the constellation of Capricornus. Meteors will be visible all night as Capricornus is in the sky throughout. Best displays are likely to be around 01:00 when the radiant is at its highest point. You will be able to see around 2 meteors per hour.
Moon
Full Moon: 13th
Last Quarter: 20th
New Moon: 28th
First Quarter: 7th
The Moon reaches apogee, it’s furthest point from Earth, on the 26th and perigee, its closest point to the Earth, on the 13th.
The Moon reaches aphelion, its furthest point from the Sun on the 13th, and perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on the 29th.
Points of Interest
The Earth reaches aphelion, it’s furthest point from the Sun on the 4th.
134340 Pluto is at opposition on the 20th. It lies in the constellation of Sagittarius and reaches its highest point around midnight, however this will be tricky to observe as it is low in the sky. You will need at least a four-inch telescope to see it.
Visit Spot the Station to find out when the International Space Station will be visible from your location.
Last updated: 29th May