Full Moon is on the 7th rising at 21.51 - setting at 4.25
Last Quarter is on the 15th rising at 23.40 - setting at 14.15
New Moon is on the 22nd rising at 5.18 - setting at 21.27
First Quarter is on the 28th rising at 14.05 - setting at 22.56
So she’ll be available to study almost all month with the exception of the 3rd week.
Planets. This is the last month we’ll be able to see Saturn in the evenings, as it’ll set by midnight on the 1st and at 10pm by the 31st, so make the most of it. The next time it’s available will be as a morning apparition in September, by which time the rings will be edge-on, and very difficult to see.
Jupiter will rise at midnight on the 1st, with Neptune less than half a degree away. By the end of the month it’ll be up by 10pm and will be a fine sight, and bright at –2.8mag, high enough to see some banding well by midnight. Tiny blue Neptune will still be close at hand, about 1.5° away.
Uranus will rise half an hour after midnight on the 1st, and two hours earlier by month end, so will also be worth a look, a bigger blue disc than Neptune, visible well in binoculars, if you know where to look, so if you need a star chart for it let me know, at www.donastro.org.uk.
The next one up is Mars, a tiny 1.1mag orange disc, rising soon after 2am, with very bright, white Venus, at -4.1mag, about 1.5Deg below. Binoculars will help to find Mars in the glare from Venus. By the 31st they will be 15° apart, with Mars rising just after 1am and Venus an hour later in the dawn twilight. You may not notice that Venus’s phase changes during the month from 62% to 73%, but you should note that she’s clearly gibbous.
The only chance to see Mercury this month will be on the 1st and 2nd when it rises an hour after Venus and 40mins before the Sun, after then it’s too dangerous if binoculars are used, though it’ll be bright enough to see naked eye though not easy in the dawn twilight.
Meteor showers. Always worth looking up to see meteors, but there aren’t any major showers this month.
Comets. The only comets available this month are beyond the reach of small telescopes and binoculars, but I can provide sky charts if needed for specific comets.
What else? July isn’t a good month for observing galaxies, nebulae etc. because of the lightness of the skies. Open clusters, however, are still there to be seen, many in the summer part of the Milky way which runs from Cassiopeia through Cygnus, Vulpecula, Sagitta, Aquila, Scutum, Serpens, Sagittarius and Ophiuchus. Aim for the southern parts, which make their appearance only during high summer. July is also the season for Noctilucent clouds, not strictly astronomical, but very impressive, caused by sunshine on ice crystals 80km high. A couple of pictures on the Photo Blog of our website, www.donastro.org.uk
Satellites
Some ISS passes over Doncaster before midnight. Most are in the early hours this month
6th 23:12 SSW to ESE highest point is SSE at 19°
7th 23:36 SW to E highest point is SSE at 33°
9th 22:49 SW to E highest point is SSE at 34°
There are many more passes this month, but check with www.heavens-above.com for details
Iridium Flares – caused by the Sun catching the solar panels of Iridium communication satellites.
2nd 21:48:05 59° up in the NE very bright
4th 23:18:01 28° up in the NNE bright
6th 23:06:07 30° up in the NNE bright
11th 22:45:27 38° up in the NE bright
Again, check with www.heavens-above.com for more.