Moon phases, Mercury + meteors — everything you need to know about July’s astronomical events

The second half of summer is upon us and there are plenty more astronomical events coming up this July. Grab your telescopes, picnic blankets and keep reading to learn more about what’s happening in the night sky this month:

New moon — July 5

During this moon phase, which will occur on Friday, July 5, the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun. This is the best time to view galaxies and other star clusters since the Moon won’t be shining at all.

Full moon — July 21

In complete opposition to the new moon phase, a full moon happens when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun. As you might have known already, this means the Moon will be fully illuminated.

The July full moon was known as the Buck Moon by early Native American tribes — the male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers at this time each year.

Mercury at greatest eastern elongation — July 22

If you’re unfamiliar with this terminology, the greatest eastern (or western) elongation is the maximum angle between the Sun and a planet in our solar system. This will be the best time to view Mercury in the sky as it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky.

Look low in the western sky just after sunset on Monday, July 22 to see Mercury!

Delta Aquariids meteor shower — July 28-29

The Southern Delta Aquariids is a faint astronomical event that produces up to 20 meteors an hour at its peak. According to NASA, it is unknown exactly which comet these meteors derive from, although it’s suspected they come from 96P/Machholz, which was discovered May 12, 1986.

The best viewing environment is in a dark location after midnight. Look anywhere in the sky and be patient — you might just see something!

If you’re able to see any of these astronomical events and get some pictures, we would love to see them! Share your pictures on social media and tag us or DM us at @hvilleblast.

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