Best night sky events for July 2024
The month of July 2024 is filled with several engaging celestial events. The range of events includes the first meteor shower after a two-month vacation, Mercury being visible, a full Buck Moon, planetary alignments, lunar phases and more.
Today, New Moon, 3:19 p.m.: No Moon Day! It will be absent from the night sky, creating an ideal opportunity for stargazers to watch the unobstructed view of the stars present in the sky. Without the moon's bright glow, the sky becomes darker, enhancing the visibility of stars, constellations and distant galaxies.
July 12, Mercury Greatest Elongation: During this period, Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation from the sun, an event that will make it visible shortly after sunset. Eastern elongation occurs when Mercury is at its maximum angular distance east of the sun in the sky.
This positioning allows the planet to stay above the horizon longer after the sun has set, making it easier to spot. Mercury is the smallest and innermost planet in our solar system and can often be challenging to observe due to its close proximity to the sun. However, during eastern elongation, it becomes more accessible for skywatchers.
July 13, First Quarter Moon, 3:48 p.m.: The First Quarter Moon appears as a half-illuminated disk. It will show the right half visible from the Northern Hemisphere and the left half visible from the Southern Hemisphere and is visible in the afternoon and evening sky.
July 20, Apollo 11 On The Moon, 55th Anniversary: On this date in 1969, Apollo 11, crewed by Mission Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, landed safely on the moon. The lunar module, named Eagle, landed on a lunar feature named the Sea of Tranquility. Six and half hours after landing, the first human being, Neil Armstrong, set foot on the moon, uttering these now infamous words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
July 21, Full Moon, 3:17 a.m.: The moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, and its face will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by many names, and they include: the Buck Moon, the Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon.
July 27, Last Quarter Moon, 7:51 p.m.: The Last Quarter Moon is the third and final quarter phase of the moon during its monthly cycle. The moon appears half-illuminated, with the left half visible from the Northern Hemisphere and the right half visible from the Southern Hemisphere. This moon is visible after midnight and throughout the morning.
July 28 and 29, Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower: The meteor shower named Delta Aquarids will be taking place on the night of the 28th and the morning of the 29th. On both days, the meteor shower will be at its peak where you could witness up to 20 meteors per hour. Even though the constellation of Aquarius is low in the southeastern sky, the meteors can appear anywhere. This event happens annually from mid-July to mid-August as we pass through the debris field of comet 96P/Maccholz.
July 30: Throughout the month of July, Mars and Jupiter have been steadily approaching each other. We close out the month with these two planets forming a tight triangle with the crescent Moon. So, if you are willing to stay up till 3 a.m., you will witness quite a sight.
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John Taylor is an amateur astronomer who lives in Hayden.
