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July 15 morning: Mars and Uranus
If you’ve never found Uranus before, now is your chance. On the morning of July 15, 2024, the red planet Mars will lie close to the planet Uranus. They will be about half a degree apart or roughly the width of the full moon. Brighter Jupiter, the orangish star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster will complete the scene. While it is possible to see Uranus without optical aid, binoculars will help catch its dim blue-green light.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Use Mars to spot the distant planet Uranus around July 15
Here’s a 1-minute video preview on using the red planet Mars to spot the distant planet Uranus. They’ll be near each other in the morning sky around July 15, 2024. Don’t miss them!
July 15 morning: Mars and Uranus binocular view
Here’s a binocular view of reddish Mars and blue-green Uranus at their closest at 9 UTC on July 15, 2024.
July evenings: The Summer Triangle
On any evening – through December – watch for the famous Summer Triangle, an easy-to-see large pattern of three stars. It’s now ascending in the eastern sky on these July evenings. This pattern consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations – Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
July moon phases
Here’s a 1-minute video preview of the moon phases for the month of July 2024. See when it’ll be near visible planets, bright stars and star clusters.
July 17 evening: Moon near Antares
On July 17, 2024, the bright red star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion will lie close to the fat waxing gibbous moon. Also, sky watchers in locations including sub-Saharan Africa will see the moon pass in front of – or occult – Antares near 20 UTC on July 17. Other locations may see Antares very close to the limb (edge) of the moon.
July 20-21 all night: Full moon near the Teapot
Overnight on July 20-21, 2024, look for the full Buck Moon. It’ll lie near the Teapot, an asterism in Sagittarius the Archer. The full moon will occur at 10:17 UTC (5:17 a.m. CDT) on July 21, 2024. You can catch the moon and the Teapot rising in the east at sunset, highest in the sky at midnight, and setting in the west at dawn.
July 22: Mercury at greatest evening elongation
Mercury is farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome – at greatest elongation – at 7 UTC (2 a.m. CDT) on July 22, 2024. At that time, Mercury is 27 degrees from the sun in our sky. This will be its best evening apparition of 2024 for the Southern Hemisphere.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
July 24: Moon reaches perigee
The moon will reach perigee – its closest point in its elliptical orbit around Earth – at 6 UTC (1 a.m. CDT) on July 24, 2024, when it’s 226,748 miles (364,917 km) away.
July 24 and 25 mornings: Moon visits Saturn
In the early morning hours of July 24 and 25, 2024, the waning gibbous moon will hang close to Saturn. The bright star Fomalhaut will shine nearby. Also, sky watchers in locations including Asia and Africa will see the moon pass in front of – or occult – Saturn around 21 UTC on July 24.
July 28: Last quarter moon
The instant of last quarter moon will fall at 2:52 UTC on July 28, 2024 (9:52 p.m. CDT on July 27). It’ll rise after midnight your local time and will set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.
Late July through early August: Delta Aquariid meteor shower
The Delta Aquariid meteor shower doesn’t have a noticeable peak. It rambles along steadily from late July through early August, joining forces with the August Perseids. The radiant – the point where the meteors seem to originate – is highest in the sky at 2 a.m.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
July 29 to 31 evenings: Mercury and Venus
Venus will hang low in the west about 30 minutes after sunset on the last few evenings of July. Tiny Mercury will lie near Venus as well. Look for them in the bright evening twilight. Venus sets about 50 minutes after the sun.
July 29 and 30 mornings: Moon near Mars, Jupiter and Pleiades
Try to see this eye-catching sight! On July 29, 2024, the waning crescent moon will lie close to the glimmering Pleiades star cluster. The reddish planet Mars will lie nearby. On the morning of July 30, the moon, Jupiter, Mars and Aldebaran will form a rectangle in the morning sky. You can see them before dawn.
July 31 morning: Moon near Mars, Jupiter and Pleiades
July finishes with a grand sight in the morning sky. On July 31, 2024, the waning crescent moon will lie between two bright stars: Capella and Betelgeuse. Capella is in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. Betelgeuse is the red supergiant star in Orion the Hunter. Also, look for Jupiter, Mars and the fiery star Aldebaran. Don’t forget to look for earthshine. It’s reflected light from Earth that illuminates the unlit portion of a crescent moon. You can see them before dawn.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Stars and constellations overhead now
If you’re out stargazing on any evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.
Summer Triangle
On any evening – through December – watch for the famous Summer Triangle, an easy-to-see large pattern of three stars. It’s now ascending in the eastern sky on these July evenings.
This pattern consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations – Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle.
Lyra the Harp
The constellation Lyra the Harp is made of a triangle and a parallelogram. Its brightest star is Vega. Look next to it for the famous Epsilon Lyrae, a double-double star, really four stars in all.
Vega is prominent in northern summer skies, located on one corner of the Summer Triangle. Vega is magnitude 0.03, which makes it the 5th brightest star in all the sky or the second brightest star belonging to just the Northern Hemisphere. Vega is so bright because it lies just 25 light-years away.
Cygnus the Swan
If you have a dark sky, it’s easy to see the edgewise view into our own galaxy – our Milky Way – spun across the heavens. As you look toward it, you’ll be gazing toward the constellation Cygnus the Swan, too. Its brightest star is called Deneb, the Swan’s Tail. And the constellation Cygnus contains one of the most beloved double stars in the sky, blue and gold Albireo.
Deneb also marks one of the corners of the famous Summer Triangle, an asterism composed of three bright stars in three different constellations.
So there’s a lot going on in this part of the sky! And no wonder, because the Swan lets you peer into the depths of the Milky Way.
Hercules the Strongman and the Hercules Cluster
In July, look for the faint constellation Hercules the Strongman in the evening sky. Its midsection contains the easy-to-see Keystone shape (an asterism). You can find Hercules between the bright stars Vega in Lyra the Harp and Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman. And once you find the Keystone, you can easily locate M13, the Hercules cluster.
Enjoy exploring the night sky!
July morning planets
In July 2024, Jupiter becomes more prominent each day as it climbs out of the morning twilight. It spends the month in the constellation Taurus the Bull. It’s shining at -2.0 magnitude most of the month. The waning crescent moon will be near Jupiter on July 30. Jupiter will rise about two hours before the sun on July 1 and will rise over three hours before sunrise by month’s end. As the month goes by, Mars will be closing in on Jupiter. Jupiter and Mars will have a close conjunction on August 14, 2024. Jupiter will be brightest in December this year.
Mars will shine at 1st magnitude, and its disk will grow to 5.9 arcminutes by the end of the month. The waning crescent moon will be near Mars on the mornings of July 1 and 30, 2024. Mars will move to the constellation Taurus the Bull on July 11. It’ll rise about three hours before sunrise on July 1 and around four hours before sunrise by the end of July. Mars will be brightest in January 2205.
Also, the shimmering Pleiades star cluster appears near Mars. The bright orangish star joining the scene is Aldebaran. It’s the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull.
Saturn will shine around 1st magnitude in July 2024. Its ring system is closing. They’ll be edge-on in March 2025. The bright star Fomalhaut shines nearby. Saturn spends the month in the faint constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The moon will visit Saturn on July 24 and 25. Observers in locations including Asia and Africa will see the moon pass in front of – or occult – Saturn around 21 UTC on July 24. Saturn will rise about two hours after sunset on July 1 and will rise before 9 p.m. your local time by month’s end. Saturn will reach opposition on September 8, 2024. That’s when we fly between it and the sun.
July evening planets
Mercury will shine in the evening twilight all month. Binoculars will help spot this little world. It’ll reach its greatest evening elongation on July 22, 2024, when it’s 27 degrees from the sun. It’ll be shining at magnitude -0.6 at the beginning of the month and fade to magnitude +0.3 by month’s end. This will be the best evening apparition of 2024 for Southern Hemisphere observers. On the other hand, in the Northern Hemisphere, it never gets very far above the horizon this month. The moon will hang close to Mercury on July 7. Also, Mercury will lie closer to the bright star Regulus each day.
Where is Venus?
Venus is too close to the sun to be visible most of this month. It’ll emerge in the evening sky by the end of July.
Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky
The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.
Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps
Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more
The sun-centered charts come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2024 in his Astronomical Calendar.
Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.
Some resources to enjoy
For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.
Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!
Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.
Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.
See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.
Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).
Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.
Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide for July 2024. Tomorrow night, July 15, Mars will lie close to the dim planet Uranus in the morning sky. Use binoculars for the best view of the pair.
