The Sky This Week - Thursday July 9 to Thursday July 16

The Eastern Horizon as seen from Australia at 6:00 am local time, click to embiggen.

The Last Quarter Moon is Wednesday July 15.

Saturn is visible in the early evening and can be easily seen as the second brightest object above the north-western horizon. It is about a quarter of the way between the bright stars Regulus and Spica.

On Friday July 10 the waning Moon is not far from Jupiter. Jupiter can be seen just above the eastern horizon before 10 pm local time but it is still best seen in the morning with the other bright planets, Venus and Mars.

Mars is just above the beautiful Pleaides cluster, and Venus is close to the A-shaped Hyades cluster (see chart above), on the morning of Monday July 13 Venus is close to bright red Aldebaran in the Hyades, forming a second "eye" in the head of Taurus the Bull.

If you are an early morning riser with a small telescope, Jupiter's Moons are readily visible (also in binoculars) and Venus is in 'waxing Moon" Phase.

The Sky This Week - Thursday July 2 to Thursday July 9

Current Phase of the Moon:

The Eastern Horizon as seen from Australia at 6:00 am local time, click to embiggen.

The Full Moon is Tuesday July 7. On Saturday July 4 the Moon is very close to the bright red star Antares.

Saturn is visible in the early evening and can be easily seen as the second brightest object above the north-eastern horizon. It is about a quarter of the way between the bright stars Regulus and Spica.

Jupiter can be seen just above the eastern horizon before 10 pm local time but it is still best seen in the morning with the other bright planets, Venus and Mars.

Mars and Venus are close together, and in a very beautiful region of the Morning sky, Near the Pleaides, Hyades and the Constellation Orion (see Chart). Mars and Venus continue to draw apart during the week. Mercury is now lost to view, and will reappear in the evening later this month.

If you are an early morning riser with a small telescope, Jupiter's Moons are readily visible (also in binoculars) and Venus is in 'waxing Moon" Phase.