July 2018 Sky Calendar
Jul 18, 2018 2:23:52 GMT
Post by Joe on Jul 18, 2018 2:23:52 GMT
CVAS Monthly Sky Calendar for July 2018
Venus – Venus can be found in the western evening skies after sunset. It is starting to sink a little lower with it being up for around 2 hours after sunset and between 25° to 20° high at sunset. Its phase for the month will go from 70% to 58%, its size going from 15.8 to 20.0 arc-seconds, and a magnitude of around -4.1 for the month.
Jupiter – Jupiter can be found in the southern skies after sunset. It is best to view it right after it gets dark enough out when it is highest up in the south. During the month the size goes from 41.4 to 38.1 arc-seconds with a magnitude around -2.4 to -2.2.
Saturn- This is still a very good month to view Saturn since it was just at opposition at the end of last month. To start the month it is up for near 9 hours with it being due south around 1am. At month’s end it is up near to 7 hours with it being due south around 11pm. The size of Saturn itself goes from 18.3 arc-seconds to 18.0 arc-seconds with a magnitude going from 0.03 to 0.20 during the month. The rings are about 2 ½ times larger than the planet itself and still have a tilt of about 26 degrees, close to their maximum.
Mars – Mars is at Opposition later this month on the 27th. So this and next months are the best time to try to see some detail on it for the next couple of years. It is best to try to see it when it is in the southern skies. To start the month it due south around 3:30AM, at month end it due south around 1:00AM. It is now up between 7 to 9 hours before sunrise for the month. It is size is now pretty large with it diameter being between 20.9 and 24.3 arc-seconds for the month. Mars is now very bright now with its magnitude increases during the month going from -2.2 to -2.8. This is the largest apparition of Mars since 2003 and it will not be this close again until September 2035.
Neptune – Neptune can be found the southern morning skies at sunrise. It is up from 5 ½ to 8 hours this month with it being around 40° high at sunrise. During the month its size will be around 2.3 arc-seconds with a magnitude of around 7.8.
Uranus –Uranus can be found in the eastern morning skies a couple hours before sunrise. At sunrise it will be in the south-eastern skies. To start the month it is up close to 4 hours and 42° high at sunrise, by month’s end this increases to closer to 6 hours and 59° high at sunrise. During the month, its magnitude will around 5.8 with a diameter of 3.5 arc-seconds.
Earth at Aphelion – The Earth is at it’s farthest point to the Sun at 12:36pm on the 6th of the month at a distance of 94,507,803 miles.