Southern Skywatch July 2022 edition is now out!

Morning sky on Friday July 22 as seen from Adelaide at 5:49 am ACST (90
minutes before sunrise). Mars is close to the crescent moon. 

Similar
views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time
(90 minutes before sunrise), click to embiggen. 

The June edition of Southern Skywatch
is now up. The planetary action is in the morning sky with The planetary action is mostly in the morning sky with five bright planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury in the morning sky at the beginning of the month, then four for the rest of the month. Saturn also appears in the evening sky, followed by Jupiter and Mercury later in the month. Earth is aphelion, and the Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower.

July 1; Venus forms a second eye for Taurus the Bull. July 7; First Quarter Moon. July 13; perigee Moon. July 14; Full Moon (best Perigee Moon this year). July 16, Mars near the variable star Mira, which should be at maximum. July 15 (morning 16); Saturn and waning Moon close. July 19; the waning Moon near Jupiter. July 21; Last Quarter Moon. July 22; Mars close to crescent moon. July 26; the thin crescent Moon is beside Venus. July 26; apogee Moon. July 29; New Moon. July 29-30, Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower. July 30; Mercury close to thin crescent Moon in evening twilight. July 31; Mars and Uranus 2 degrees apart (in same binocular field).

Mercury 
is rapidly sinking towards the morning horizon and is really only visible for the first week. It returns to the evening sky later in the month. It is low in the twilight half an hour after sunset in the last week of the month. On July 30 the thin crescent Moon and Mercury are close in the twilight.

Venus starts the month close to Aldebaran, forming a second eye for Taurus the Bull. Venus continues to sink towards the horizon but is readily visible from nautical twilight until dawn.

On the 26th Venus and the thin crescent Moon are close.

Earth is at aphelion on Monday the 4th, when it is furthest from the sun.

Mars is becoming brighter as it nears opposition, it is in an area devoid of bright stars so is readily identifiable. On July 22, Mars is 3° from the crescent Moon. The pair easily seen together in binoculars. On the 31st Mars and Uranus are 2° apart, easily visible together in binoculars (closest on 1 August).

Jupiter climbs higher in the morning sky and is an excellent telescopic object if you can get up that early. On the 18th Jupiter is close to the waning Moon.

Jupiter is rising about midnight on the 1st, and by the end of the month is rising about 10 pm local time, it is still best telescopically in the morning.

Saturnis climbing higher in the evening sky, but remains seen in the morning skies, Saturn will be sufficiently high in the sky to clear a cluttered horizon, but not high enough for good telescopic observation until around mid month. Saturn forms a shallow triangle with delta and gamma Capricorn, which is best from the 25th to 30th. Saturn is at opposition next month. Saturn is rising around 9 pm local time at the beginning of the month and will be rising around6 pm at the end of the month.

On the 15th (morning 16th)the waning Moon is close to Saturn (not spectacularly though).

Moon: May 13; perigee Moon and May 26; apogee Moon

Labels: southern skywatch

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 4:10 pm