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By NASA
What to Look for in July
The scorpion’s star clusters, and Mars reveals elusive Uranus
Follow the tail of Scorpius to locate star clusters M6 and M7, let Mars guide you to observe planet Uranus, and see the Moon gather a group of planets in the morning.
Highlights
All month – Two easy-to-spot star clusters – M7, aka Ptolemy’s Cluster, and M6, the Butterfly Cluster – are both located about 5 degrees east of the the bright stars that mark the “stinger” end of the scorpion’s tail. They reach their highest point in the sky around 10 or 11 pm local time. July 2 & 3 – The crescent Moon will join Jupiter and Mars in the east before sunrise. Looking for them before the sky starts to brighten, you’ll also find the Pleiades star cluster above Jupiter, and bright stars Capella and Aldebaran nearby. July 5 – New moon July 7 & 8 – Those with an unobstructed view of the western horizon can spot Mercury shining brightly, low in the sky with a slim crescent Moon. Look for them starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets. July 13 – For the first few hours after dark, look to the southwest to find the first-quarter Moon snuggled up to bright bluish-white star Spica. For much of the lower 48 U.S. and most of Mexico, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Spica – an event called an occultation. Check your favorite skywatching app for the view from your location. July 14-16 – Grab your binoculars and have a look at Mars in the early morning before the sky starts to brighten, and you’ll find the distant planet Uranus quite close by. July 21 – Full moon July 30 – Look for a close gathering of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon with the bright stars of the constellation Taurus in the a.m. sky before dawn. Sky chart showing the position of Uranus relative to Mars on July 15. NASA/JPL-Caltech Transcript
What’s Up for July? The Moon gets the band back together, find planet Uranus with some help from Mars, and the star clusters that feel the Scorpion’s sting.
All month in July, as in June, the planetary action is in the a.m. sky. Find Saturn rising around midnight, and climbing high into the south by sunrise. Mars rises a couple of hours later, with Jupiter trailing behind it, and shifting higher in the sky each day.
On July 2nd and 3rd before sunrise, the crescent Moon will join Jupiter and Mars in the east. Looking for them before the sky starts to brighten, you’ll also find the Pleiades star cluster above Jupiter, as well as bright stars Capella and Aldebaran.
As the Moon swings around the planet in its orbit, this same group gets back together at the end of the month, but as a much tighter gathering of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon with the bright stars of the constellation Taurus.
Sky chart showing the pre-dawn sky on July 30, with Jupiter, Mars, and the crescent Moon, plus several bright stars in the constellation Taurus. NASA/JPL-Caltech Then on the evening of July 7th and 8th, those with an unobstructed view of the western horizon can spot Mercury shining brightly, low in the sky with a slim crescent Moon. Look for them starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will find Mercury a good bit higher in the northwest sky all month after sunset.
On July 13, for the first few hours after dark, look to the southwest to find the first quarter Moon snuggled up to bright bluish-white star Spica. For much of the lower 48 United States and most of Mexico, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Spica – an event called an occultation.
Next, over three days in mid-July, grab your binoculars and have a look at Mars in the early morning before the sky starts to brighten, and you’ll find the distant planet Uranus quite close by. Uranus is not too difficult to see with binoculars or a small telescope anytime it’s reasonably high above the horizon at night, but you really need to know where to look for it, or use an auto-guided telescope. But occasionally the Moon or one of the brighter planets will pass close to Uranus in the sky, making for a great opportunity to find it with ease.
This sky chart shows the evening sky in July, with constellation Scorpius low in the south. The locations of star clusters M6 and M7 are indicated near the mythical scorpion’s tail. NASA/JPL-Caltech The winding form of constellation Scorpius, adorned with the bright red star Antares, is a feature of the night sky around the world this time of year. And at the tip of the scorpion’s tail are two well-known star clusters that are well placed for viewing at this time of year.
M7, aka Ptolemy’s Cluster, and M6, the Butterfly Cluster, are both located about 5 degrees east of the the bright stars that mark the “stinger” end of the scorpion’s tail. They reach their highest point in the sky around 10 or 11 pm local time.
To find M7, imagine a line toward the east through the “stinger stars,” Lesath and Shaula, and it will lead you straight to the star cluster. M6 is just a couple of degrees above M7. Both are “open star clusters,” meaning they’re loose groupings of stars that formed together, in the same region of space, and they’re only loosely bound together by gravity, so they’ll eventually go their separate ways.
Zoomed sky chart showing where M7 and M6 are located relative to the bright stars that form the stinger of the scorpion constellation. Both are 5-6 degrees west of Shoala and Lesath, with M6 being placed about 5 degrees above, or north of, M7. NASA/JPL-Caltech M7 is just visible to the unaided eye under dark skies as a hazy patch just left of the tip of the scorpion’s tail. But it’s best seen with binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view. Its stars are located at a distance of about 1000 light years from us, and they formed about 200 million years ago. The cluster was discovered by Greek-Roman astronomer Ptolemy in the year 130, hence its other name.
M6 is about half the apparent size of M7, and contains fewer stars. It’s also a bit farther away from us, at around 1600 light years. It’s estimated to be about half as old as M7, at an age of around 100 million years. It was discovered by Italian astronomer and contemporary of Galileo, Giovanni Battista Hodierna, in 1654.
These two clusters are easy to observe in July, and their location in Scorpius makes them pretty straightforward to locate on a clear night.
So there’s no reason to fear of this scorpion’s sting. Instead, let it guide you to two distant star clusters, and see for yourself two little families of stars in the process of spreading out into the Milky Way.
Here are the phases of the Moon for July.
The phases of the Moon for July 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech Stay up to date on NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
Skywatching Resources
NASA’s Night Sky Network NASA’s Watch the Skies Blog Daily Moon Observing Guide About the ‘What’s Up’ Production Team
“What’s Up” is NASA’s longest running web video series. It had its first episode in April 2007 with original host Jane Houston Jones. Today, Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje are the space enthusiasts who produce this monthly video series at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Additional astronomy subject matter guidance is provided by JPL’s Bill Dunford, Gary Spiers, Lyle Tavernier, and the Night Sky Network’s Kat Troche.
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By NASA
1 min read
Mountain Rain or Snow Volunteers Broke Records This Winter
The Mountain Rain or Snow project asks volunteers to track rain, snow, and mixed precipitation all winter long—and this was a winter like no other! This season, 1,684 people submitted precipitation observations—that’s about a third more than last season. These volunteers submitted over 32,110 observations, breaking last year’s record by over 10,000.
Some observers excelled by sending in hundreds of observations—Patrick Thorson submitted 676! Nayoung Hur’s observations spanned the largest elevational range, and Lauren H’s came from the highest peak at 11, 993 feet.
Congratulations to Patrick Thorson, Chris Gotschalk, SV, Karen O, Marley Jennings, Mariah Blackhorse, Robert R., Randall Bursk, Bill Locke, Erin Grogan, Lauren H., Craig Hall, and Nayoung Hur for their remarkable contributions. Thank you to all Mountain Rain or Snow observers for keeping your eyes on the sky with us this winter!
The Mountain Rain or Snow project still needs more data to improve weather and water sources forecasting.If you are in the U.S.A. and you are on or near a mountain, visit www.rainorsnow.org/signup on your phone and select your region to join the project!
Mountain Rain or Snow’s 2023-2024 winter season at a glance. Image Credit: Sonia Tonino
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Last Updated Jun 05, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
Planets rule the a.m., and what’s that bright light?
Saturn and Mars meet up with the Moon, Jupiter returns at dawn, and tips for identifying some common objects seen in the sky.
Highlights
All month – All the planetary action continues to be in the morning sky, with Saturn and Mars rising in the early morning hours. They are joined later in the month by Jupiter. June 2 – In the hour before sunrise, reddish Mars hangs just beneath the crescent Moon. Find the pair low in the east with Saturn lurking nearby, toward the south. June 3 – The crescent Moon sits beneath Mars in morning twilight. Look for them low in the eastern sky. June 6 – New moon June 21 – Full moon June 24 – Jupiter is now visible low in the east before sunrise. Look for the bright planet around 10 degrees above the horizon this final week of June, forming a line with Mars and Saturn that stretches toward the south. June 27 – Look for the Moon rising in the east with Saturn around midnight. By dawn this morning, you’ll find them high in the southern sky. They appear super close together – close enough to appear in the same field of view through binoculars. “Planet Parade” note: Some online sources have shared excitement about a “parade of planets” visible in the morning sky in early June (June 3 in particular). In reality, only two of the six planets supposedly on display (Saturn and Mars) will actually be visible. In early June, Jupiter and Mercury will be at or below the horizon in morning twilight and not visible; Uranus and Neptune are far too faint to see without a telescope, especially as the morning sky brightens. The closest thing to a planet parade will be June 29, when Saturn, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will line up across the morning sky. This arrangement persists into July, and we’ll talk more about that lineup in the next “What’s Up” video.
Sky chart showing the planets’ Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter forming a diagonal line across the morning sky in late June. Transcript
What’s Up for June? Saturn and Mars meet up with the Moon, Jupiter returns at dawn, and tips for identifying some common objects seen in the sky.
On June 2nd in the hour before sunrise, reddish Mars hangs beneath the crescent Moon. Find the pair low in the east with Saturn lurking nearby. The following morning, on June 3rd, the Moon has moved so that it sits beneath Mars.
During the last week of June, giant Jupiter re-emerges as a morning planet, after passing behind the Sun, from our point of view on Earth, over the past couple of months. By June 24th, you can find it about 10 degrees above the horizon as the morning sky begins to brighten. It climbs a little higher each morning after that as July approaches.
Then on June 27th, look for the Moon with Saturn. The pair rise around midnight, and by dawn you’ll find them high in the southern sky. They appear super close together this morning – close enough to appear in the same field of view through binoculars.
Sky chart showing the pre-dawn sky on June 3, with Saturn, Mars, and the crescent Moon. NASA/JPL-Caltech When you spot bright or moving objects in the night sky, it might not be immediately clear what you’re looking at. Is that a planet, or just a bright star? Is it a satellite, or maybe just an airplane? Here are a few quick tips on how to tell the difference.
First, there are five planets that are easily observed with the unaided eye. Of these, two planets – Venus and Jupiter – can sometimes appear incredibly bright, like shining beacons in the sky. The other planets are much less bright, but still generally shine as brightly as bright stars.
The big tipoff that you’re looking at a star and not a planet is that planets tend to shine steadily, whereas stars twinkle. Stars are so far away that they’re just points of light,
and ripples in our atmosphere easily distort them, causing the familiar flicker. The planets are relatively closeby, being here in our solar system. Through binoculars or a telescope, instead of a single point, planets show us a tiny disk or crescent that’s illuminated by the Sun. So even though they appear star-like to the eye, the light from a planet is coming from a slightly more spread-out area, making planets appear more constant in brightness. Both planets and stars rise in the east and set in the west, and they move very slowly across the sky during the night.
But what if you see an object that’s moving? Distant aircraft are usually pretty easy to identify, because they follow a slow, steady path that’s straight or gently curving. They have exterior lights that flash in a regular pattern, often including a red beacon.
Satellites tend to be most visible in the hour or so after dark or before dawn, when it’s night here on the surface, but the satellites are high enough in the sky to be illuminated by sunlight. They’re generally fainter than aircraft, and move in slow, very steady, very straight paths. They might briefly flare in brightness, but they don’t have lights that blink.
The International Space Station traces its path across the twilight sky over a California desert landscape. NASA/Preston Dyches The International Space Station is an exception, because it’s very bright, and is often visible for long enough to observe the curving path of its orbit. But it doesn’t have flashing lights you can see from the ground, and it does something else satellites do: Satellites often fade out of view as they travel into Earth’s shadow, or fade into view as they emerge. And occasionally you might see a train of satellites moving slowly and silently in formation.
One other sight that’s sometimes confusing is rocket launches that happen soon after sunset or before sunrise. Similar to spotting satellites, this is when it’s darker here on the ground, but launching rockets climb high enough to be illuminated by sunlight. When rockets launching at these times of day get really high in altitude, their exhaust can be brilliantly illuminated, and sometimes you might even see spiral or circular shapes that slowly grow and then dissipate, as a spent rocket stage empties its propellant into space.
With so much to see in the night sky, it’s helpful to be familiar with some of these common sights, so you can get on with your skywatching and investigate whatever mysteries and wonders you’re in search of.
Here are the phases of the Moon for June.
The phases of the Moon for June 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech Stay up to date on NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
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By NASA
6 min read
What’s Up: March 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Jupiter plows through the Pleiades on March 14, a chance to spot Mercury at month’s end along with a subtle lunar eclipse, and a comet worth keeping an eye on!
March skywatching highlights:
March 10 – New moon March 13 – The Moon joins Jupiter tonight in the west, following sunset. They make a great pairing through binoculars. March 14 – Tonight the crescent Moon moves through the Pleiades star cluster, creating a dazzling sight for skywatchers observing with binoculars. March 21-25 – Northern Hemisphere viewers have their best chance of the year to spot Mercury in the evening sky. Look for it shining brightly, low in the west, starting half an hour after sunset. March 24-25 – A subtle lunar eclipse called a penumbral eclipse will cause a slight decrease in the Moon’s brightness tonight. It’s usually difficult to see, but you might see the difference if you look before the eclipse and then at the peak. At the peak observers can sometimes see a subtle gradient in brightness across the Moon’s face. March 25 – Full moon March 25 – The full moon dims slightly during a penumbral lunar eclipse tonight, as it passes through the outer part of Earth’s shadow, the penumbra. The decrease in brightening for this type of eclipse is subtle, but you might be able to notice a slight gradient in brightness across the Moon’s face around the peak of the event. All month – Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is heading toward its closest approach to the Sun on its 71-year orbit, and is bright enough to observe in telescopes and binoculars. There’s a possibility it might become just visible to the unaided eye by late March or sometime in April. Sky chart showing the changing position of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks during the month of March. Find the comet in the west-northwest as soon as the sky is fully dark. It moves lower as the month continues Video Transcript
Text of the current month’s video.
What’s Up for March? Some close pair-ups with the Moon, and Mercury makes an appearance, a subtle lunar eclipse, and a chance to catch a comet.
In March, you’ll find Jupiter shining brightly in the west during the early evening hours all month long. And on March 13th, it’s joined by a crescent Moon so close that the pair will be visible together through binoculars.
Sky chart showing Jupiter with the Moon on the evening of March 13, one hour after sunset. NASA/JPL-Caltech On the following evening, the Moon visits the Pleiades. This is another close pairing – with the five-day-old lunar crescent hanging right next to the bright star cluster – that will look great through a small telescope or binoculars.
Near the end of March, observers in the Northern Hemisphere will have the best opportunity of the year to catch a glimpse of Mercury in the evening sky. Look for it shining brightly low in the west following sunset.
Sky chart showing Jupiter and Mercury on the evenings of March 21-25 about 30-40 minutes after sunset. NASA/JPL-Caltech Overnight on March 24th and into the 25th, the Moon will pass through the outer part of Earth’s shadow, creating a faint lunar eclipse called a penumbral eclipse. Now, the more spectacular variety of lunar eclipses happens when the Moon passes through Earth’s inner shadow, or umbra. That’s when we see a dark “bite” taken out of the Moon, or in the case of a total lunar eclipse, a reddish, so-called “blood moon.” Penumbral eclipses cause only a slight dimming of the Moon’s brightness, so if you’re not looking for it, you might not know there was an eclipse happening. But if you glance at the Moon early in the night, and then later, around the peak of the eclipse, you might notice the difference in brightness.
Even faint lunar eclipses like this one are always accompanied by a solar eclipse either a couple of weeks before or after. And on April 8th, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the U.S. (We’ll tell you more about that in next month’s video.)
There’s a comet making its way into the inner solar system that’s already observable with a telescope, and might start to become visible to the unaided eye by late March or in April. It’s a mountain of rock, dust, and ice several miles wide named 12P/Pons-Brooks.
It has a stretched-out, 71-year-long orbit that carries it as far from the Sun as the orbit of Neptune and nearly as close as the orbit of Venus. Fortunately, because this orbit is tilted, it doesn’t cross our planet’s path, so there’s no chance of a collision.
Comet 12P has been observed on several of its previous appearances going back hundreds of years, and one thing it’s known for is its occasional outbursts. Sometimes this comet suddenly brightens by quite bit, due to bursts of gas and dust being released from beneath its surface. If this happens in the March-April timeframe as the comet nears the Sun, it could become bright enough to observe with the eye alone.
But even without additional brightening from outbursts, the comet is predicted to peak at a brightness that should make it easy to see with binoculars, and possibly just naked-eye visible under dark skies by the end of March.
Now, comets are notoriously unpredictable, so it’s hard to know for sure how bright Pons-Brooks will get as it nears the Sun, but it’s certainly worth a look. You can find it low in the west-northwest part of the sky at the end of evening twilight.
Comets, along with asteroids, are leftover pieces of the materials that formed the Sun and planets. So catch a comet and glimpse one of the building blocks of our solar system with your own eyes.
Here are the phases of the Moon for March.
The phases of the Moon for March 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech Stay up to date on NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
Skywatching Resources
NASA’s Night Sky Network NASA’s Watch the Skies Blog Daily Moon Observing Guide Full Moon Blog About the What’s Up production team
“What’s Up” is NASA’s longest running web video series. It had its first episode in April 2007 with original host Jane Houston Jones. Today, Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje are the science communicators and space enthusiasts who produce this monthly video series at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Additional astronomy subject matter guidance is provided by JPL’s Bill Dunford, Gary Spiers, Lyle Tavernier, and GSFC’s Molly Wasser.
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
A total solar eclipse creates stunning celestial views for people within the path of the Moon’s shadow. This astronomical event is a unique opportunity for scientists to study the Sun and its influence on Earth, but it’s also a perfect opportunity to capture unforgettable images. Whether you’re an amateur photographer or a selfie master, try out these tips for photographing the eclipse.
A total solar eclipse is a unique opportunity for scientists studying in the shadow of the Moon, but it’s also a perfect opportunity to capture unforgettable images. Whether you’re an amateur photographer or a selfie master, try out these tips for photographing the eclipse.
NASA/Beth Anthony #1 – Safety First
Looking directly at the Sun is dangerous to your eyes and your camera. To take images when the Sun is partially eclipsed, you’ll need to use a special solar filter to protect your camera, just as you’ll need a pair of solar viewing glasses (also called eclipse glasses) to protect your eyes. However, at totality, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun, make sure to remove the filter so you can see the Sun’s outer atmosphere – the corona.
#2 – Any Camera Is a Good Camera
Taking a stunning photo has more to do with the photographer than the camera. Whether you have a high-end DLSR or a camera phone, you can take great photos during the eclipse; after all, the best piece of equipment you can have is a good eye and a vision for the image you want to create. If you don’t have a telephoto zoom lens, focus on taking landscape shots and capture the changing environment.
Having a few other pieces of equipment can also come in handy during the eclipse. Using a tripod can help you stabilize the camera and avoid taking blurry images when there is low lighting. Additionally, using a delayed shutter release timer will allow you to snap shots without jiggling the camera.
People watch a partial eclipse in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 20, 2015.Credits: Robin Cordiner #3 – Look Up, Down, All Around
While the Sun is the most commanding element of a solar eclipse, remember to look around you. As the Moon slips in front of the Sun, the landscape will be bathed in eerie lighting and shadows. As light filters through the overlapping leaves of trees, it creates natural pinholes that project miniature eclipse replicas on the ground. Anywhere you can point your camera can yield exceptional imagery, so be sure to compose some wide-angle photos that can capture your eclipse experience.
NASA photographer Bill Ingalls recommends focusing on the human experience of watching the eclipse. “The real pictures are going to be of the people around you pointing, gawking, and watching it,” Ingalls noted. “Those are going to be some great moments to capture to show the emotion of the whole thing.”
#4 – Practice
Be sure you know the capabilities of your camera before eclipse day. Most cameras, and even some camera phones, have adjustable exposures, which can help you darken or lighten your image during the tricky eclipse lighting. Make sure you know how to manually focus the camera for crisp shots.
For DSLR cameras, the best way to determine the correct exposure is to test settings on the uneclipsed Sun beforehand. Using a fixed aperture of f/8 to f/16, try shutter speeds between 1/1000 to 1/4 second to find the optimal setting, which you can then use to take images during the partial stages of the eclipse. During totality, the corona has a wide range of brightness, so it’s best to use a fixed aperture and a range of exposures from approximately 1/1000 to 1 second.
#5 – Share!
Share your eclipse experience with friends and family afterwards. Tag @NASA to connect your photos on social media to those taken around the country and share them with NASA.
While you’re snapping those eclipse photos, don’t forget to stop and look at the eclipse with your own eyes. Just remember to wear your solar viewing glasses (also called eclipse glasses) for all stages of the eclipse before and after totality!
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Learn more about the 2024 total solar eclipse Eclipse Photographers Will Help Study Sun During Its Disappearing Act By Mara Johnson-Groh
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Last Updated Mar 21, 2024 Related Terms
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