North American Skies

Sky Events / Visible Planets
(PLEASE NOTE: All times are given for the EASTERN TIME ZONE (Standard or Daylight as applicable).  Subtract 1 hour for Central Time, 2 hours for Mountain Time, and 3 hours for Pacific Time. For example, a listed time of 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time, is 11 a.m. Central, 10 a.m. Mountain, and 9 a.m. Pacific. Please adjust accordingly, or for your time in other time zones.

July 2009

Friday, 7/3
Earth at aphelion: 1.0167 AU, 2:59 a.m.
Earth's distance from the Sun varies slightly, a fact that has virtually no bearing on the seasons. You may think it odd, but our planet is actually farthest from the Sun in early July. Today it reaches its farthest point for the year, or about 1.0167 Astronomical Units, one Astronomical Unit being the average. This is about 94,508,598 miles or 152,096,846 km

Saturday, 7/4
Moon passes Antares, 5:38 a.m.
The Moon passes very close to bright star Antares, but this is after Moon set in most locations. Best time to view is between midnight and maybe 2 a.m., to the southwest. This is an occultation in Hawaii and Japan. For details, visit the International Occultation Timing Association. (http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/0704antares.htm)

Tuesday, 7/7
Moon , Full Moon, 5:22 a.m.
For all intents and purposes, this Moon appears full on Monday and Tuesday nights. In Colonial America, the 7th Full Moon of the year was called the "Summer Moon" or the "Thunder Moon," among others. The Cherokee called it the "Month of Ripe Corn Moon," and similarly the Laguna people in the Southwest called it the "Corn Tassel Moon." The Ojibway called it "Raspberry Moon," the Natchez in the South called it the "Peaches Moon," and in the Northwest the Nez Perce called it the "Red Salmon Moon." This month, the Moon also reaches its farthest point from the Sun in its orbit (Apogee) on this day. So being farther away, the Moon appears slightly smaller than usual. In fact, this is the smallest appearing Full Moon of the year. Moon names from The Moon Book by Kim Long.

Tuesday, 7/7
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, 5:39 a.m.
Unfortunately, this is technically an eclipse, but is so minor that it is unlikely that anyone will observe anything.

Thursday, 7/9
Moon approaches Jupiter, late evening.
Several days past full, this Waxing Gibbous Moon rises late in the evening. On Thursday night, it is to the West of Jupiter, and on Friday night it has passed it and is to the East of the planet. In the meantime, it passes closest at about 6 p.m. Friday, but neither are visible at that time from North America.

Monday, 7/13
Venus passes Aldebaran, predawn
Venus passes several degrees from red Aldebaran in Taurus. Neither are visible at closest approach, but best views are before dawn on Monday and Tuesday. Look low in the eastern sky shortly before dawn. Venus is very bright, with Aldebaran slightly to the right and below. Mars, similar in color to Aldebaran, is a bit farther away to the upper right.

Wednesday, 7/15
Last Quarter Moon, 5:53 a.m.
About two weeks ago the Moon was at First Quarter, shaped like a capital "D" and standing upright in the southern sky at sunset. Now, 180 degrees away in its orbit, it has reached Last or "3rd" Quarter phase, shaped like a backwards capital "D," and also standing in the southern sky, but at dawn.



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[Data for this calendar has been derived from a number of sources including the Observer's Handbook 2009 of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Starry Night software, NASA's SKYCAL - Sky Events Calendar and others. Only events with a reasonable possibility for Northern Hemisphere observers, or those events with some other significance, are given. Sky Events Calendar from SKYCAL by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA's GSFC)]
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Planets (June 2009)

Mercury
Mercury is very low in the eastern sky before dawn this month. Experienced and dedicated observers can find it, but for the rest of us, a little more sleep would be more worthwhile!.

Venus
Venus is at greatest western elongation on the 5th, some 46 degrees from the Sun in the eastern sky before dawn. It is brilliant, but  the angle of the ecliptic keeps it fairly low. Mars is nearby throughout the month.

Mars
Mars is in Aries this month. Find brilliant Venus and Mars is nearby. They star the month just a few degrees apart, Mars to the left or South, and at roughly the same height. By midmonth, Mars has risen just a little higher than Venus. The Crescent Moon passes near on the morning of the 19th.

Jupiter
IJupiter now rises in the late evening and is well up in the soutehrn heavens at daybreak. It starts a slow retrograde look in Capricornus on the 15th.

Saturn
IThe slowest moving of the visible eye planets, Saturn remains in Leo, well up in the South-southwest at sunset. The Moon passes nearby on the evening of the 27th.



[Data for this calendar has been derived from a number of sources including the Observer's Handbook 2009 of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Starry Night software, and others. Only events with a reasonable possibility for Northern Hemisphere observers, or those events with some other significance, are given.]
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Copyright 2009 Final Copy, Inc. 

Information in this calendar has been calculated and/or derived from a variety of sources. Among them are the yearly Observer's Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon, and Planets by Jean Meeus; and Starry Night software by Space.com. Only events with a reasonable possibility for Northern Hemisphere observers, or those events with some other significance, are given.