Stargazing: What to see in the night sky tonight, July 2022

By Pete Lawrence

Published: Friday, 01 July 2022 at 12:00 am

Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can’t always plan when and where we’re going to get the chance to gaze upwards.

Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.

So when you do find the time, you’ll need to know what’s visible in the night sky, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.

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Milky Way over Namthing Pokhri Lake Basudeb Chakrabarti, West Bengal, India, 13 March 2022 Equipment: Nikon D5200 DSLR, Tokina 11–16mm lens, tripod

Here’s our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight. Our guide is centred around what’s visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.

In our guide, we use Universal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT

We also use RA (Right ascension) and dec. (declination). These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’. For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.

For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.

What’s visible in the night sky tonight?

All Month

Noctilucent clouds season runs from late May through to early August, July being an excellent month to look out for these elusive high-altitude ice clouds.

Monday 4 July

Happy aphelion day! Earth reaches the point in its year-long orbit when it is farthest from the Sun today.

Wednesday 6 July

Minor planet 14 Irene reaches opposition today, at the eastern edge of the handle of the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius. Shining at mag. +9.8, it’ll be tricky to identify Irene’s star-like dot against the backdrop of Milky Way.

Tips:

  • Use a small/ medium scope (reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches)
  • Photo opp: use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Friday 8 July

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The clair obscure effect on the Moon known as the Jewelled Handle. Credit: Pete Lawrence

A view of the Moon through binoculars or a telescope this evening will reveal the illuminated arc of the Jura Mountains curving into darkness at the Moon’s terminator.

This Jewelled Handle clair-obscur effect is at its best around 23:10 BST (22:10 UT).

Tips:

  • 10×50 binoculars recommended
  • Photo opp: use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Saturday 9 July

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Kepler and Crater Rays by John Brady, Lancashire, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 200p, DMK41 mono CCD

The ray crater Kepler is well presented tonight and tomorrow night. A second opportunity occurs during the Moon’s waning phase on the mornings of 23 and 24 July.

Tips:

  • Use a small/medium scope (reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches)
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Sunday 10 July

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Credit: Pete Lawrence

This evening the 88%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 2.2˚ from red-supergiant Antares (Alpha (α) Scorpii). Catch them at their closest around midnight, low above the southwest horizon.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Wednesday 13 July

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A perigee full Moon (left) appears 30% brighter and 14% larger than an apogee full Moon (right). Credit: Pete Lawrence

Today’s full Moon occurs at 19:38 BST (18:38 UT) just 9hrs 29m after lunar perigee (10:09 BST (09:09 UT)), the point in the Moon’s orbit when it’s closest to Earth.

This is the smallest gap for 2022, making this the best perigee full Moon of 2022 and a so-called supermoon.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Friday 15 July

As this evening’s 92%-lit waning gibbous Moon rises around 23:30 BST (22:30 UT), look out for mag. +0.5 Saturn 4.8˚ above it.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Tuesday 19 July

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Credit: Pete Lawrence

Mag. –2.4 Jupiter appears 2.9˚ above a 65%-lit waning gibbous Moon in the early hours.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Thursday 21 July

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The Whirlpool Galaxy Daniel Mills, Hill Head, Hampshire, 15 May 2020. Equipment: Canon 600D DSLR, Sky-Watcher Explorer 130P-DS reflector, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount

July is a tricky month for deep-sky observing due to the brightness of the night sky at the start of the month.

From now until the end of July is the best time to get out your telescope and see if you can observe some galaxies, nebulae and globular clusters, as the Moon will be out of the way.

Friday 22 July

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Credit: Pete Lawrence

Mag. +0.3 Mars and a 36%-lit waning crescent Moon sit above the east-northeast horizon, separated by 4˚. Both objects are visible from 00:40 BST (23:40 UT on 21 July). Mag. +5.8 Uranus also lies 2.3˚ east of the Moon.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Saturday 23 July

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The Pleiades, Paul Ring, Gateshead, 2 October 2019. Equipment: Canon 700D DSLR, Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED Pro refractor, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro mount

The 26%-lit waning crescent Moon lies 4.4˚ south of the Pleiades open cluster this morning. See them above the east-northeast horizon from 02:00 BST (01:00 UT).

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Tuesday 26 July

Mag. –3.8 Venus appears in the early morning sky, near to a beautiful 5%-lit waning crescent Moon. Catch them at their best from 04:00 BST (03:00 UT).

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Wednesday 27 July

Mag. –3.8 Venus appears in the early morning sky, near to a beautiful 2%-lit waning crescent Moon. Catch them at their best from 04:00 BST (03:00 UT).

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Thursday 28 July

With the Moon new today, this is a great time to try and track down eighth magnitude comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS), which has been moving south through Ophiuchus, the Serpent-Bearer, this month.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Friday 29 July

Saturn forms a triangle with Deneb Algiedi (Delta (δ) Capricorni) and Nashira (Gamma (γ) Capricorni).

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Mercury and a 1%-lit waxing crescent Moon are 3˚ apart this evening.

Tips:

  • 10×50 binoculars recommended
  • Photo opp: use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

Saturday 30 July

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Chart showing the location of the radiant of the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower 2022. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Tonight is the peak of the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower.

Tips:

  • Observe with the naked eye: allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
  • Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

A thin 4%-lit Moon is 9˚from mag. –0.6 Mercury 30 minutes after sunset.

Tips:

  • 10×50 binoculars recommended
  • Photo opp: use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR

What to see with the family in July’s night sky

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Noctilucent Clouds over Bromsgrove by Sarah & Simon Fisher, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, UK. Equipment: Canon 600D, 18-55mm.

Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are excellent targets for youngsters to look out for. Typically seen 90–120 minutes after sunset low above the northwest horizon, or a similar time before sunrise low above the northeast horizon, they just require a flat, clear horizon and keen eyes.

They shine with a white/blue-white colour and have a fine wispy structure. Any regular clouds in the area will appear dark against NLCs – high altitude ice-sheet clouds, which are so high that they can reflect sunlight at night even though the Sun is below the horizon for us on the ground.