Blog

July is full of celestial events for stargazers, from the breathtaking view of the Milky Way in the first week to the beautiful crescent moon lighting up the western horizon and a rare occultation of the star Spica by the moon. Don’t miss the rising “Thunder Moon” on July 20-21 and the Delta Aquariids meteor shower on July 31.

Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy in July.

1. The Milky Way

When: first week of July

Where: Southeast

July and August are the best months of the year to see the Milky Way from the northern hemisphere. Many know this, but don’t realize that you need to pick a 10-day window within those two months when the moon is down AND away from light pollution to get a good view after sunset. It’s the first week of July. The Milky Way will be brightest in the southeastern sky.

2. Beautiful crescent moon

When: After sunset on Saturday, July 6 until Tuesday, July 9

Where: Above the western horizon

Look west for four consecutive nights to see a beautiful crescent moon that gets slightly fuller each night as it moves away from the sun in its orbit around Earth. Viewing on Saturday, July 6 will be difficult as the moon will be only 1% illuminated, requiring binoculars, patience and a low view of the horizon. After that, it gets much easier, with a chance on Sunday July 7 to see Mercury right overhead. Sunday through Tuesday, you’ll also see “Earthglow” or “planetglow” on the moon’s dark side — sunlight reflected off Earth’s oceans and ice caps back onto the lunar surface.

3. Spica hidden by the Moon

When: Saturday, July 13 – Sunday, July 14

Where: Southwest evening sky, from North and Central America only

One of the brightest stars in the summer night sky — Spica in Virgo — will be occulted (eclipsed) by the Moon in one of the rarest celestial events in 2024 for North and Central America. According to In-The-Sky.org, Spica will be occulted by a first-quarter Moon (appearing half-illuminated as seen from Earth) between 9:40 PM EDT on Saturday, July 13 and 12:58 AM EDT on Sunday, July 14. Here is the schedule:

• Extinction only: eastern US (11:30 p.m. EDT, low in the southwest).
• Total Occultation: Midwestern States (10 p.m. CDT)
• Reappearance only: Northwest US States (21:00 MDT).

4. A full “Thunder Moon” rises.

When: Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21.

Where: Eastern Horizon

The seventh full moon of 2024 and the second of the Northern Hemisphere summer will be 100% illuminated by the sun on Sunday, July 21. However, since the time to catch the full moon sunrise is when it’s closest to the horizon, there are two consecutive evenings this month to be out looking east—preferably with any binoculars for a great close-up .

5. The Moon Meets The Ringed Planet

When: Tuesday, July 23 – Wednesday, July 24

Where: West

For two consecutive nights, a remarkable moon-planet conjunction will be visible in the west just as darkness falls. On Tuesday, you’ll see a waning moon with Saturn in the lower left, while on Wednesday, a slightly smaller moon will hang in the lower left of the “ringed planet.” As seen from parts of Asia and Africa, the moon will occult (block) Saturn for a few hours on Wednesday.

6. Meteorite stream Delta Aquariids

When: Wednesday, July 31

Where: the whole sky

Expect about 10-20 “shooting stars” in a dark, moonless night sky from midnight to 02:00 AM when the Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks. It takes place from July 18 to August 21 each year and is caused by the dust and debris left behind in the inner solar system by the 96P/Machholz Complex, a mess of comets that cause a handful of different meteor showers. Those in the southern US will probably have the best luck.

The times and dates given refer to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums such as SkySafari Pro, Stellarium and The sky live. Check it out sunrise/sunset of a planet, Sunrise Sunsetand moonrise/moonset times to see where you are.

Follow me at Twitter/X and Instagram.

Take my books Stargazing in 2024, Stargazing program for beginnersand When is the next eclipse?

Wishing you clear skies and wide-open eyes.