Star-Gazing Guide for July 2020

Sight # 1—Penumbral Lunar Eclipse and Buck Moon Rise on July 4-5. This event occurs when a slither of the full Moon will appear to be a littler dimmer for a few hours as it passes through the Earth’s outer, fuzzy shadow in space-our planet’s penumbra. On July 4 from 11:07 pm—1:52 am and on July 5th at 12:30 am will be the best times to look at the full moon and if the skies are clear you may notice it is slightly darker than usual.

Sight # 2—See the Milky Way, Sagittarius and Scorpius—From July 13-22. The Milky Way is easily visible in July if you stay up until midnight and you’re in a dark sky site. Get the chance to glimpse the sparkling star fields of Sagittarius and Scorpius, with the latter’s orange star Antares-the ‘rival of Mars’. This is the busiest region on the night sky, with countless stars, clusters and nebula to explore with binoculars or a small telescope.

Sight # 3—Jupiter and Saturn at Opposition. The solar system’s two gas giants-Jupiter and Saturn-both reach opposition this month. On July 14, Jupiter will be closest to Earth and fully illuminated by the Sun. Jupiter rises at dusk and sets at dawn. Also look for Jupiter’s largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Calisto. Barely a week later, its Saturn’s turn. The ringed planet will look its best on July 20, you’ll need a small telescope to glimpse its rings. It rises at dusk and sets at dawn. You might also see Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

Sight # 4—Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower “Count the Shooting Stars” About 20 “shooting stars” per hour after midnight on July 29, when the debris from a comet tail strikes Earth’s atmosphere . Look towards the constellation of Aquarius for shooting stars from the Delta Aquarids, which are known for producing bright “fireballs.” A lesser meteor shower called Alpha Caricornids also peaks on the 29 of July.

Star-Gazing Guide for July 2020

Sky Map of Constellations for Kids

Constellation Cards Downloadable

Constellation in Summer Skies

Warm, lazy July nights are great for learning and viewing the summer constellations. So spread a blanket out in the backyard and lie on your back with your feet facing the south.

Can you find the Constellation:

 The Big Dipper ? High over your head on the right?  Bootes ? Looks like a narrow kite.  Cassiopeia ?  Corona Borealis ? Just to the left of Bootes) aka the Norhtern Crown? The Crown is about as big as the Big dippers bowl. Its not too bright, but easy to spot in the city—it really looks like a crown.  Hercules ? Just left of Corona Borealis  The Summer Triangle ? Its to the left of Hercules and is the most famous feature of summer, the Summer Triangle. Its made up of three bright stars: Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, Altair in Aquila.  Lyra ? Is a small constellation-it could fit into the Big Dippers Bowl. You’ll have to look hard to see the four stars below Vega, but when you find them, Lyra might remind you of a harp.

Star-Gazing Guide for July 2020

Can you find the Constellation:

 Cygnus the Swan ? Is a lot larger than Lyra. You’ll find its main stars easily. Bright Deneb, the northernmost star, is the tail of this heavenly bird; bright Albireo far to the south is its head, when you look for Albireo, remember that swans have long necks.  Aguila ? Is about the same size of Cygnus, but its shape is almost the opposite. If you can see the Milky Way from your observing site, think of Cygnus and Aquila flying down opposite lanes of a two-lane road.  Delphinus, the dolphin ? The small constellation is between Cygus and Aquila. It looks a lot like a dolphin leaping out of the water.  Sagittarius ? Follow the Milky Way all the way south to find Sagittarius. Sagittarius shares the southern horizon with the Scorpius. Made up of a centaur holding a bow and arrow and the Teapot.  The Teapot ? Is not a constellation but is a asterism, a recognizable pattern of stars. Look towards the Center of the Milky Way  Scorpius ? Scorpius is easy to identify, since it really looks like a scorpion. To find it face south about 10 pm towards the middle of the month. It is said July is one of the best months to view the constellation. Near the horizon you’ll find the bright star Antares, the heart of the scorpion. Down and to the left of Antares is the scorpion’s tail with the stinger raised to strike. Above and to the right is the row of stars that marks the scorpions head. Star-Gazing Guide for July 2020

Star-Gazing Guide for July 2020