Mars and meteors: July skygazing guide
![Mars and meteors: July skygazing guide](https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/662120e1ee12c7.13143183-e1719917044851.jpeg?w=900)
(NewsNation) — July 2024 is promising to be a celestial feast for skygazers, with events ranging from meteor showers to planetary alignments.
July 1: The month kicks off with a rare sighting of Comet 13P/Olbers, visible for the first time in 69 years. Best viewed in early July, the comet can be spotted after sunset traveling beneath Ursa Major toward the northwest horizon until about midnight.
Mars will also rise in the sky where skygazers will see a thin crescent moon just above the Red Planet, Popular Science reported. The Adler Planetarium says that Mars will be slightly brighter than first magnitude in July and will gradually get even brighter as the year progresses.
July 3: Early risers can witness a conjunction between Jupiter and the moon. The celestial bodies will appear within five degrees of each other, with the moon sliding above Jupiter.
July 5: Earth reaches its farthest point from the sun, known as aphelion. At this point, our planet will be approximately 94,510,538 miles from the sun. However, this distance doesn't affect Earth's seasons, which are determined by the planet's axial tilt.
On the night of the new moon, stars and galaxies will be at their brightest, Travel and Leisure reported.
July 10: Hawaiians will experience Lahaina Noon when the sun is directly overhead at solar noon, in this biannual event.
July 12-13: New York City residents and visitors have another chance to experience Manhattanhenge. This phenomenon occurs when the setting sun aligns perfectly with Manhattan's street grid, creating a stunning visual effect. The American Museum of Natural History recommends viewing from 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd or 57th streets.
July 21: The full "Buck Moon" rises, reaching peak illumination at 6:14 a.m. EDT. Named for the growing antlers on male deer during this season, it's also known by other names in various Native American cultures.
Mercury will also reach its greatest eastern elongation, offering a rare opportunity to spot the elusive planet just after sunset in the constellation Leo.
July 29-30: The month concludes with the peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower. Stargazers can expect up to 20 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. The shower is best viewed from dusk to midnight, before moonrise.
For optimal viewing of these celestial events, experts recommend finding a dark location away from city lights and allowing eyes to adjust to the darkness for about 30 minutes.
Date: |
Topics
Filter
-
Yahoo News - World
‘Extremotolerant’ Moss Could Grow on Mars
-
BBC News - Top stories
A simple guide to the 4 July general election
The UK general election is on Thursday, 4 July, but there are reports some postal votes have been delayed.
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Will the Fed hit its inflation target by 2025? Don’t bet on it.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed optimism that the Federal Reserve Board's 2 percent inflation target might be achieved by 2025, but other forecast groups show a less optimistic outlook, with inflation expected to remain above 2 percent ...Federal Reserve -
The Hill - Politics
Only 1 state in the US completely bans consumer fireworks
Firework laws are always a bit confusing for Americans ahead of the Fourth of July. Are you allowed to set them off? What kinds of fireworks can you legally purchase? It's a state-by-state mess that nobody seems to understand. -
The Hill - Politics
Biden: 'I screwed up' during debate, but 'we're gonna just beat Donald Trump'
President Biden acknowledged his poor debate performance in a radio interview Thursday, saying he “screwed up” on the debate stage, but reiterated that he is not ending his campaign and is committed to defeating former President Trump in November. ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
There is no grand plan to replace Biden
The establishment media spent the entirety of the Trump administration telling us what the president was really like behind the scenes. But during the Biden administration, they haven’t seemed remotely interested in what the president is like ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
DC water confirmed safe to drink after precautionary boil water advisory
Water in Washington, D.C., has been confirmed safe to drink Thursday after the district faced a boil water advisory a day before. “All DC Water customers under the precautionary boil water advisory can use tap water for all purposes after it was ...