Noctilicent cloud season runs from late May through to early August, July being an excellent month to look out for these elusive high-altitude ice clouds. <\/p>\n\n
Monday <\/strong>4<\/h5>\n\n
Happy aphelion day! <\/span>Earth reaches the point in its year-long orbit when it is farthest from the Sun today.<\/p>\n\n
Wednesday <\/strong>6<\/h5>\n\n
Minor planet 14 Irene<\/span> reaches opposition today, at the eastern edge of the handle of the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius. <\/span>Shining at mag. +9.8, it\u2019ll be tricky to identify Irene\u2019s star-like dot against the backdrop of Milky Way.<\/p>\n\n
Friday<\/strong> 8<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
A view of the Moon through<\/span> binoculars or a telescope this evening will reveal the illuminated arc of the Jura Mountains curving into darkness at the Moon\u2019s terminator. This Jewelled Handle clair-obscur effect is at its best around 23:10 BST (22:10 UT).<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Saturday <\/strong>9<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
Our \u2018Moonwatch\u2019<\/span> target, the ray crater Kepler, is well presented tonight and tomorrow night. <\/span>A second opportunity occurs during the Moon\u2019s waning phase on the mornings of 23 and 24 July. <\/p>\n\n
Sunday<\/strong> 10<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
This evening the <\/strong>88%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 2.2\u02da from red-supergiant Antares (Alpha (\u03b1) Scorpii). <\/span>Catch them at their closest around midnight, low above the southwest horizon.<\/p>\n\n
Wednesday <\/strong>13<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
Today\u2019s full Moon occurs at 19:38 BST (18:38 <\/strong>UT) just 9hrs 29m after lunar perigee (10:09 BST (09:09 UT)), the point in the Moon\u2019s orbit when it\u2019s closest to Earth. This is the smallest gap for 2022, making this the best perigee full Moon of 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Friday <\/strong>15<\/h5>\n\n
As this evening\u2019s 92%-lit <\/strong>waning gibbous Moon rises around 23:30 BST (22:30 UT), look out for mag. +0.5 Saturn 4.8\u02da above it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tuesday<\/strong> 19<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
Mag. \u20132.4 Jupiter appears 2.9\u02da above a 65%-lit waning gibbous Moon in the early hours.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Thursday<\/strong> 21<\/h5>\n\n
July is a tricky month for deep sky <\/strong>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 attempt this month’s \u2018Deep Sky Tour\u2019, as the Moon will be out of the way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Friday <\/strong>22<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
Mag. +0.3 Mars and<\/span> a <\/strong>36%-lit waning crescent Moon sit above the east-northeast horizon, separated by 4\u02da. Both objects are visible from 00:40 <\/span>BST (23:40 UT on 21 July). Mag. +5.8 Uranus also lies 2.3\u02da east of the Moon.<\/p>\n\n
Saturday <\/strong>23<\/h5>\n\n
The 26%-lit w<\/strong>aning crescent Moon lies 4.4\u02da south of the Pleiades open cluster this morning. See them both above the east-northeast horizon from 02:00 BST (01:00 UT).<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tuesday<\/strong> 26<\/h5>\n\n
Mag. \u20133.8 V<\/strong>enus appears in the early morning sky, near to a beautiful 5%-lit waning crescent Moon. <\/span>Catch them at their best from 04:00 BST (03:00 UT).<\/p>\n\n
Wednesday<\/strong> 27<\/h5>\n\n
Mag. \u20133.8 Venus<\/span> appears <\/strong>in the early morning sky, near to a beautiful 2%-lit waning crescent Moon. Catch them at their best from 04:00 BSTzz (03:00 UT).<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Thursday<\/strong> 28<\/h5>\n\n
With the Moon new t<\/strong>oday, 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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Friday <\/strong>29<\/h5>\n\n
Saturn forms a triangle <\/strong>with Deneb Algiedi (Delta (\u03b4) Capricorni) and Nashira (Gamma (\u03b3) Capricorni).<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Mercury and a 1%-lit waxing crescent Moon are 3\u02da apart this evening.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Saturday <\/strong>30<\/h5>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
A thin 4%-lit Moon <\/strong>is 9\u02dafrom mag. \u20130.6 Mercury 30 minutes after sunset.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
The peak of the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
<\/div>
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Family stargazing <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are excellent targets for youngsters to look out for. Typically seen 90\u2013120 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 \u2013 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. bbc.co.uk\/cbeebies\/shows\/stargazing<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n
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