Events, Moon, Planets in July Home Page Evènements du mois Monthly Sky Charts

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.Events .Moon .Planets .Major Events .Minor Planets, NEOs .Comets .Shooting Stars .Occultations .Sun .check more! (occultations observers are advised to check in 'Events', and to turn to such dedicated sites like the I.O.T.A). don't forget to check the weather! For the US: the NOAA . color codes: Wwd worldwide, UsA USA-Americas, EuA Europe-Africa, AsP Asia-Pacific, Chk Check for Your Zone. check the site's concept and the instructions of use

Editor's Choice Fine Picture Editor's Choice Sky At Tech News color codes: Wwd worldwide, UsA USA-Americas, EuA Europe-Africa, AsP Asia-Pacific, Chk Check for Your Zone. check the site's concept and the instructions of use

Events Home Page

.Events Seen All Month Long .Ephemerides Proper

(data from the former yearly ephemerides generator at Fred Espenak's NASA's eclipse website; miscellaneous data with the 'Astronomical Phenomena for The Year 2017,' a joint work by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the U.S. Naval Observatory; to be found at the latter's site; all time UT except otherwise stated)

Wwd A curiosity, the Ariétides shooting stars active late May-early July as they are daytime meteors! more

Wwd A part of the Great Winter Sky bright stars are ornating the eastern sky by dawn in the northern hemisphere, the Tropics and the southern hemisphere. Venus adds like a morning star there and Moon may also come in the field

Wwd Venus, a fine visual and photographic occurrence, is passing about July 5-15 like a fine evening star, close to Regulus in twilight, the bright star to constellation Leon, the Lion! The Moon will also come to add

Venus passing to Regulus, a fine visual and photographic occurrence! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium

6 Wwd Earth, like each year by about this date, is at is aphelion today by 15:59 UT. The Earth is at its furthest from the Sun as it paradoxically is the beginning of the warmest days in the northern hemisphere. check more details about the aphelion-perihelion concepts with our tutorial Seasons

10 Wwd There is a occultation of Aldebaran, the bright star to constellation Taurus, the Bull today by Moon! check more at Occultations; check more too at such sites like "The International Occultation Timing Association" (I.O.T.A.)

12 (1) Wwd The Southern Delta Aquarids are usually active Jul. 12-Aug. 19 with their peak usually next month on Jul. 27-28 more at the date of the peak

12 (2) Wwd Moon reaches a northernmost declination at 12:01 UT

13 (1) Wwd The second solar eclipse in 2018 occurs today as it is a partial solar eclipse, the partial solar eclipse of July 13th, 2018. check more

13 (2) Wwd Moon is at its perigee at 08:28 UT (distances non available)

14 (1) Wwd Very first crescent by all latitudes, may be searched close to Mercury tonight in twilight!

Worth the search! Very first crescent close to Mercury in twilight! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium

14 (2) Wwd Moon is at a ascending node at 02:50 UT

15 UsA First quarter by all latitudes, close to Venus by twilight! Fine!

Moon close to Venus by twilight! Fine! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium

16 AsP First quarter by all latitudes, close to Venus by twilight! Fine!

17 Wwd The Perseids, one of the most important meteor showers of the year, are usually active Jul. 17-Aug. 24 with their peak usually next month on Aug. 11-12. Perseids are one of the year's most important meteor shower more

20 UsA EuA First quartered Moon at all latitudes, close to Jupiter tonight!

First quartered Moon seen close to Jupiter! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium

21 AsP First quartered Moon at all latitudes, close to Jupiter tonight!

24 UsA EuA Waxing gibbous Moon by all latitudes, is close to Saturn tonight!

25 (1) AsP Waxing gibbous Moon at all latitudes, is close to Saturn tonight!

25 (2) Wwd Moon reaches a southernmost declination at 20:55 UT

27 (1) Wwd The second lunar eclipse for that year -- and the last lunar eclipse in 2018 -- occurs today, as it is the total lunar eclipse of July 27th, 2018. check more

27 (2) EuA AsP Full Moon by all latitudes, is seen close to Mars tonight!

27 (3) Wwd Moon is at its apogee at 05:44 UT (distances non available) as it is also at a descending node at 22:40 UT

Occultations observers are advised to turn to such dedicated sites like the I.O.T.A as they may also check below at our Occultation section

Moon Home Page

Last Quarter is on July 6th, at 07:51 UT
New Moon is on July 13th, at 02:48 UT
First Quarter is on July 19th, at 19:52 UT
Full Moon is on July 27th, at 20:21 UT

(source: ephemeris generator at Fred Espenak's NASA's eclipse website)

Planets Home Page

Mercury is reaching a greatest eastern elongation by July 12th, at 04:59. The show of Mercury like a evening star, is fine about all month in the northern hemisphere and remarkable at the Tropics and the southern hemisphere by that same epoch

Mercury a fine evening star! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium

Venus to reach a greatest eastern elongation next month, is now a fine evening star worldwide! Venus in the northern hemisphere is now setting by about 10:30 p.m. local time as it is also seen into the night at the Tropics or the southern hemisphere

Venus! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Celestia

Venus a fine evening star! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Stellarium

Mars Mars Observation Campaign! At its Best Now! is reaching its biyearly best! The Red Planet is at its opposition on July 27th, 2018 by 05:31! Observe Mars! A Mars Observation Campaign is unfolding 2018-2019 as it constitutes a remarkable, perihelic opposition, with Mars nearest to Earth at the same time it is nearest to the Sun on its orbit! Mars will reach a 24.2" of apparent diameter at its best as the observation campaign will span from when the Red Planet is reaching, then leaving 6" of apparent diameter! Don't miss those occasions of observing Mars! check more at our Mars Observation Campaign 2018-2019 page

Mars reaching it biyearly opposition! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Celestia

Jupiter keeps high in the northern hemisphere, as it is tending southwest. It's very high, between southwest and West at the Tropics and the same, West, in the southern hemisphere

Saturn Still At its Best!, after its opposition last month keeps at is best! Saturn in the northern hemisphere is now about between southeast and South. At the Tropics, Saturn keeps there but much higher, as it's even closing to the zenith in the southern hemisphere! A ring maximum aperture had been reached in 2017

Saturn keeping at its best! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Celestia

Uranus now is rising by 1:30 a.m. local time in the northern hemisphere, 1:10 a.m. at the Tropics, and 1:45 in the southern hemisphere

Neptune now, in the northern hemisphere, is rising by 11:40 p.m. local time, by 10:15 p.m. at the Tropics and 10:00 in the southern hemisphere

Pluto Faraway World At its Best Now! is reaching now its year's best! The faraway world is reaching its opposition on July 12th, 2018. Pluto is not that high in the northern hemisphere as it lies by about 20 degree of altitude, southeast as it much high, southeast, at the Tropics and the same, East, in the southern hemisphere. Pluto in 2018 is reaching a rare 'special' opposition as the latter will occur because the planet will reach its orbit's line of node. (according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) since 2006, Pluto is not considered a planet anymore, but categorized like a dwarf planet instead along with Ceres, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea, and the prototype of a new category of 'trans-Neptunian', 'Pluto-class' objects)

Pluto at it's year best, and a 'special opposition'! picture site 'Amateur Astronomy' based upon Celestia

Major Events Home Page

The Partial Solar Eclipse of July 13th, 2018
The Total Lunar Eclipse of July 27th, 2018

The Partial Solar Eclipse of July 13th, 2018

That second solar eclipse in 2018 is a partial solar eclipse, the partial solar eclipse of July 13th, 2018. That partial eclipse will be moving from West to East over the marine expanses which separate southern Australia from Antarctic. check our page dedicated to that event

CAUTION! OBSERVING A SUN ECLIPSE IS DANGEROUS AND MAY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE, UP TO BLINDNESS, ANNULAR AND PARTIAL ECLIPSES INCLUDED! Observing a Sun eclipse necessitates DEDICATED SAFE TECHNIQUES!

The Total Lunar Eclipse of July 27th, 2018

That second lunar eclipse for that year -- and the last lunar eclipse in 2018 -- is the total lunar eclipse of July 27th, 2018. The entirety of the total eclipse will be seen from Turkey to India and from eastern and southern Africa to western Siberia. Either side of that area, the eclipse will either be visible by moonrise or by moonset. check our page dedicated to that event

Minor Planets, NEOs Home Page

.Minor Planets .Nearest NEOs

Minor Planets

Minor planets are those biggest asteroids in the Asteroid Belt which may be easily observed by amateurs from the Earth, namely Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta (due to the new categorization by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) by 2006, Ceres belongs to the 5 dwarf planets in the solar system with Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea). check data and charts at our section Minor Planets on the yearly Calendar page as our tutorial 'Asteroids and Asteroid Hunting' is of help too. Any remarkable event linked to a minor planet may have a notice here below

Nearest NEOs

Some small asteroids dubbed Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are regularly making close approaches at Earth. People interested in such close approaches may obtain recent and upcoming data at NASA site Near-Earth Object Program (their section "Close Approaches"). Date, miss distance in AU or Lunar Distance (LD), estimated diameter, and relative velocity are available. For further observational purposes, check at the Near-Earth Object Program ephemeris Generator. For more about NEOs see tutorial "About NEOs"

Comets Home Page

Once every time, the solar system treats us with a remarkable comet, a eery view spanning up to thirty degrees of sky! Most of the time however comets are the domain of dedicated observers as mostly weak and, at the most, hovering at the limit of the naked-eye visibility. A good site to get information about current such comets is the British Astronomical Association Comet Section page or also the Weekly Information about Bright Comets page (which often points to comets close to the visual magnitude). Our 'Comets and Comet Hunting' tutorial will also be helpful. Remarkable comets otherwise usually will be presented below!

Shooting Stars Home Page

->note: shooting stars afficionados will be aware of checking Moon at the dates of the showers

• Curious? Arietids back are active late May-early July as they are daytime meteors, which means they are active during the day as none are seen at night. Their radiant is in constellation Aries, the Ram broadly as they might have like an originator sungrazing asteroid 1566 Icarus. They have a wopping hourly rate of the thousands
• Southern Delta Aquarids back are usually active Jul. 12-Aug. 19 with their peak usually on Jul. 27-28. Their radiant is at R.A. 339° and dec. -16°. They have a hourly rate of 20
• Perseids back are usually active Jul. 17-Aug. 24 with their peak usually on Aug. 11-12, which this year is on Aug. 12 at 17:59 UT. Their radiant is at R.A. 046° and dec. +58°. They are one of the most important meteor showers of the year, with a hourly rate of 100-110
• Shooting stars afficionados may turn to such dedicated sites like IMO, The International Meteor Organization for more about the above and about possible minor showers this month

for more about the meteor showers of this month, for possible other meteor showers for this month, and for more about shooting stars, generally, see our tutorial "Shooting Stars"

Occultations Home Page

Each month, Moon occults some relatively bright stars, that is the Moon, beginning either with its bright or its dark visible face, is passing in front of a star. This is called an occultation. The Pleiades, on the other hand, due to their position near the eclipic, are often occulted by Moon too. Some planets, at last, along the year, may be occulted by Moon or they themselves, or their satellites, may be seen too occulting a star. The asteroids too may occult stars. Yearly lists of such phenomenons are to be found at Sky & Telescope/SkyTonight.com, either in their newsstand issues or at their site, as a list of occultations of most brilliant stars, the planets and the Pleiades are available at the I.O.T.A site (I.O.T.A. stands for "The International Occultation Timing Association"). Most notable occultations are signaled below

Aldebaran back, the bright star to constellation Taurus, the Bull is occulted by Moon on Jul. 10th, 2018 by 10:00 UT! The show is available for Central and northern North America, most of Greenland, and northern central Russia. check more at such sites like "The International Occultation Timing Association" (I.O.T.A.)

check on this site for more about occultations, theoretically

Sun Home Page

click to last Sun