Astronomical meetings not to be missed in July

AVec this heat. Nevertheless, take advantage of the (relative) nighttime to discover the celestial vault and locate, even in an urban environment, the brightest stars and planets. Meanwhile, Find a small corner of the park. For example, a public garden where you can move away from the lampposts and astronomical meetings not missed july their invasive artificial light and sail on the night ocean! Moreover, If you are under a sky spared by light pollution. Similarly, you can also admire the luminescent trace of the Milky Way once the night is well installed and your view accustomed to darkness; You will, of course, need to choose a night-free night or night moment, which will be much easier after mid-July.

On Thursday. Furthermore, July 3 at dusk, an hour and a half after sunset, the moon in the aftermath of its first district will be visible to a degree of Spica, the beautiful main star of the virgin constellation – the tip of your little tight arm finger covers almost a degree on the sky. Nevertheless, This one evening couple is visible about twenty degrees in height above the southwest horizon. Nevertheless, he sets in the middle of the night. However, The observers astronomical meetings not missed july of the attentive sky know that four days after its passage near Spica. In addition, the moon is always visible in the vicinity of Antarès du Scorpion, this superb star with a keen orange -brightness. Moreover, Séléné will therefore be very close to Antarès – less than two degrees – Monday. Moreover, July 7, and these two stars will already be identifiable in the south just over an hour after the sun.

From Tuesday 8 to Friday July 11 at the dawn. For example, almost two hours before sunrise, you can follow the passage of Venus between the Hyades and Pleiades stars in the bull; The brilliance of this planet is such that you will not even need the moon to identify it without ambiguity. Meanwhile, The scene will take place just above the east-north-east horizon and. Similarly, in town, you will surely need binoculars to distinguish the stars from hyades because they will sparkle the horizon and will probably be partially erased by light pollution and heat mist. However, Located a dozen degrees in height above Venus. Meanwhile, the Pleiades will be much easier to find in the naked eye in town: this stellar cluster looks like a miniature version of the small bear.

Wednesday July 16 at dawn. Therefore, two hours before sunrise, the decreasing gibbous moon and Saturn will be installed at around forty degrees in height above the southeast horizon and their apparent gap will be less than four degrees. Consequently, Saturn is not the most brilliant planet in the solar system. Meanwhile, but it is certainly the most beautiful to observe in an amateur instrument. In addition, The disc of this gaseous giant measures 120. Therefore, 000 kilometers in diameter at the equator and it is surrounded by a system of astronomical meetings not missed july rings over 275,000 kilometers wide. Similarly, Essentially made up of particles. Furthermore, small blocks of salis ice by meteoritic dust, these rings are very little thick, a few kilometers no doubt, and when the earth passes in their plan, as happened on March 23, 2025, they disappear completely for several weeks. We now see the « face » South of the rings. but they are still very little inclined compared to our vision line – less than four degrees – so that they appear almost as a thick line which would overflow on each side of the Saturn disc in the small instruments with a magnification of about thirty times. Take advantage of the many observation evenings organized in the summer to admire them in a large telescope. The evenings are identified on the website of the French Astronomy Association.

From Sunday July 20 to Tuesday July 22, I invite you to appreciate the tranquility of dawn. Two hours before the leap of the dazzling solar disc above the east-north-east horizon. taste the beautiful ash light which will generously bathe the lunar side while the croissant will be bothered day by day. On Sunday July 20. the pile of the Pléiades will shine less than five degrees on the left of the lunar arc. The next morning. astronomical meetings not missed july Monday, July 21, the moon will overlook practically Venus and will be held at the plumb of Aldébaran compared to the ecliptic; At the very beginning of the dawn, the cluster of the hyades will be visible to the naked eye or to the binoculars around the main star of the bull. On Tuesday July 22. far on the left of Venus, a thin silver blade will be glued to the lunar globe nicely revealed by the ash light.

On astronomical meetings not missed july Wednesday, July 23, a lunar crescent as thin as magnificent will tell you the right direction to seek the brilliance of Jupiter which returns in July in the sky of dawn; Forty hours before the new moon, this lunar crescent will still be perfectly visible to the naked eye. The solar elongation of Jupiter – its angular gap with the sun – will increase each morning this summer. the location of this planet will therefore be easier. Remember to look at Venus which will then shine about twenty degrees from the Jovian flame: these two planets will slide (in appearance) each in the coming weeks. they will meet less than a degree apart on August 12.

On Monday. July 28, two days after having come close to the lion during a very delicate conjunction to observe at the flush of the West North West horizon barely an hour after sunset, the moon will pass just below March. An hour. a half after the departure of the solar disk, while the croissant will only be a pair of degrees in height above the western horizon-or roughly the thickness of your thumbs up-you can try to distinguish Mars two degrees from its northern limb. This planet is not very brilliant currently (magnitude 1.6). it will therefore be difficult to find with the naked eye if the atmosphere is not clear, but that astronomical meetings not missed july should not be a problem with twins: by placing the crescent and its beautiful ash light in the lower part of the field, the shy Martian radiance should appear practically in the center.

Read also

Each month, I suggest you discover my images of the sky in my Letter from the Heaven Guide.

Moon phases in July

The moon is in the first district on the 2nd in the Virgin. full on the 10th astronomical meetings not missed july in the Sagittarius, in the last district on the 18th in the fish and news on the 24 in cancer.

Heaven in July

The dark night is slow to come in July. the start of celestial observations is pushed back around midnight. At that time. if the dazzling moon is absent, it is possible to discover the Milky Way in sites far from artificial lights. It dominates the east side of the night bowl. with the constellation of Perseus flush with the north-north-east horizon, that of the scorpion in the south-southwest and the summer triangle practically suspended from the zenith by its vega star. Note that the spring figures are still present at the start of the night. with the big diamond of the asterism of the diamond, which assembles the stars Cor Caroli, Arcturus, Spica and Denebola, lying on the western horizon. Our galaxy has astronomical meetings not missed july the approximate shape of a cake turning on itself. its axis of rotation points to the hair of Bérénice, in the middle of the diamond. With a little imagination, you can ” see “ The slow gimal of the Milky Way materialize in the sky. The large square of Pegasus rises earlier. earlier above the east horizon and it leads to the Arc of Andromeda, which brings you back to Perseus if you extend it. In summer. in the northern hemisphere, the ecliptic is folded down to the southern horizon and the zodiacal constellations (whose names are colored in orange on the maps) are confined in the most turbulent and polluted strip of the night vault.

Sky map visible in July 2025 towards the end of twilight at the latitude of metropolitan France. The cards of this post can be used in Europe. in the world within a band extending from 38 ° to 52 ° northern latitude. If you are more than 45 ° north. the polar star will be higher in your sky and, in the evening, Antarès du Scorpion will be all the closer to the southwest horizon. If you are less than 45 ° north. the polar star will be closer to the northern horizon and Antarès will be more distant from the southwest horizon.

This map shows the sky visible in July 2025 at the edge of the dawn at the latitude of metropolitan France. Please note, the sky cards are not upside down! They simply represent the stars that are located above our heads. If you open up with your head to the north. the feet to the south, the east would be good on your left and west to your right. Use these cards by printing them. turning them in such a way that astronomical meetings not missed july the name of the direction in which you observe is written in the place. The constellations. the stars that you will find in the portion of the sky facing you are all those whose name is readable without tilting your head too much. Additionally, The names of the constellations. their main stars are indicated, as well as the layout of the most important constellations; This route is sometimes incomplete when the figure is partly hidden under the horizon. The sky is very large. the constellations which seem small on the cards are, in fact, very large: your open hand and stretched arms barely hides the whole of the trolley of the big bear.

31^e edition of my Guide you ciel annual is available in your usual bookstore.

If you have been reading my tickets for a few years. you have probably already noticed here and there the very educational illustrations of Sylvain Rivaud, especially during the eclipses of sun. This comic book author-illustrator. who is also an amateur astronomer, has just published with the complicity of Emmanuel Beaudoin-teacher-researcher at Paris-Saclay University, amateur astronomer and author of numerous works on the observation of stars- Astronomix (Dunod Graphic, 144 pages). With a simple but friendly story. explanations as astronomical meetings not missed july clear as it is rigorous, it is a great success that will make you want to go out to discover the sky, contemplate the ballet of the moon and planets, go up the course of the Milky Way or watch out for the shooting stars: to slip into your bag this summer!