SAINT GEORGE – July marks the beginning of a spectacular display in the skies over southern Utah, where clear skies and a waning gibbous moon set the stage for planetary encounters, astronomical flights into the gas giant, and the start of one of the year’s richest meteor showers.
July began with Jupiter and Mars together in the east just before sunrise. Over the next few weeks, the two planets will continue to move closer together, culminating in a conjunction with Mars touching Jupiter on August 14.
The celestial events are explained in the video courtesy of NASA that you can watch at the top of this report.
As an added bonus, Uranus will appear to be right next to Mars in the night sky during a planetary conjunction on Monday, July 15. This will place Mars about half a degree away from the blue-green planet, which is much farther away, according to EarthSky.
To the naked eye alone, Jupiter’s bright white light will stand out in front of Mars’ fainter and noticeably redder glow. After July 15, Mars will begin to turn away from Uranus toward the Pleiades, making a planetary straight line toward the gas giant Jupiter.
Two weeks later, an extra-bright Jupiter, Mars and an orange star called Aldebaran – the 14th-brightest star in the sky – will join the Pleiades as a waning gibbous Moon re-enters the celestial scene to create a spectacular show on July 30.
One of the most vibrant meteor spectacles of the year, the Perseid meteor shower takes place on Wednesday, July 17, and lasts for a month, lasting well into August.
As the meteor shower becomes more active until its peak between August 11th and 12th, it will send out a steady stream of meteors that are colorful and exceptionally fast, making this particular celestial show one of the most beloved for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Going back in time, all of the meteors come from the constellation Perseus, near the infamous ‘Double Star Cluster’, an area where two open star clusters are close together near the dome of the sky. The Perseids are said to come from the great comet “Swift-Tuttle”.
The Perseids’ radiant rises in the northeast late in the evening, around 11 p.m., which is why this particular shower is best viewed from midnight to sunrise. The moon sets around midnight, so there will be dark skies until sunrise — perfect for meteor hunting, Space.com says.
Even better, the greatest number of meteors visible at the height of the jet occur just before sunrise.
Here are some tips for viewing the Perseid meteor shower:
- A clear sky is essential, as these meteors will shoot across the sky in many different directions and in front of a wide variety of constellations.
- When looking for meteors, try to look away from the moon.
- The best view is when you sit as far away from the city lights as possible. The best time to see the showers is between midnight and sunrise.
- Make sure you have at least an hour to watch the night sky, as it can take up to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night.
- Put away the telescope or binoculars, as they will allow you to see less of the sky and reduce your chances of seeing a meteor.
- Let your eyes relax and don’t look at a specific spot. Relaxed eyes will quickly pick up any movement in the sky and you will be able to spot more meteors.
- Make sure you dress appropriately: wear clothing suitable for the cold temperatures at night.
- Bring something comfortable to sit or lie on. A lounge chair or cushion will make it much more comfortable to gaze up at the night sky.
- Do not look at your cell phone or other lights, as both will obstruct your night vision.
- To know when the moon sets each morning, visit the Sunrise Sunset Calendars.
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