Some highlights for the night sky in July 2005

Friday 1 July 2004

• About 1 hour after sunset look for Mercury near Venus
• Jupiter is in Virgo not far from Gamma Virginis

Sunday 3 July 2005

• About 1.25 hours after sunset Mercury is within 1.25 degrees of Venus
• Jupiter is about 1.5 degrees from Gamma Virginis
• Late after sunset, about 1:52AM (technically 4 July), if you live in the west you may be catch the Deep Impact on Tempel 1 near Spica

Monday 4 July 2004

• Early before sunrise, about 1:52AM, if you live in the west you may be able to watch the Deep Impact on Tempel 1 near Spica
• Happy Independence Day USA
• Before sunrise, look for thin crescent Moon near Beta Tauri

Friday 8 July 2005

• About 1 hour after sunset, llok for crescent Moon near Venus and Mercury
• At the same time (above) look for the sickle of Leo and the bright star Regulus

Saturday 9 July 2005

• About 1 hour after sunset, look for crescent Moon near Regulus
• Look for Mercury and Venus about 2 degrees apart

Monday 11 July 2005

• About 1 hour after sunset Mercury and Venus about 3 degrees apart
• Also look for Regulus about half way between waxing crescent Moon and Mercury/Venus

Thursday 14 July 2005

• First Quarter Moon (near Spica)
• About 1 hour after sunset look for Venus about 4 degrees above Mercury

Saturday 16 July 2005

• About 1 hour after sunset look for Venus near Mercury
• Look for Regulus in Leo near Venus and Mercury

Sunday 17 July 2005

• If you live in the South (USA) look for the Moon to occult Antares
• About 45 minutes after sunset look for Regulus, Venus and Mercury

Wednesday 20 July 2005

• Moon approaching Full in SE
• Venus approaching Regulus in WNW

Friday 22 July 2005

• About 1 hour after sunset look for Venus about 1 degree above Regulus

Wednesday 27 July 2005

• Moon approaching last quarter
• Look for Moon above Mars in SE abou 1.25 hours before sunrise

Saturday 30 July 2005

• Moon near Pleiades before sunrise
• About 1.25 hours before sunrise look for Pleiades above Moon above Hyades in the East

Good skywatching resources

• The Messier Objects list
• Abrams Planetarium Skywatcher's Diary (source of the daily events)
• SkyMap software (used to make the maps)
• The Nearest Stars
• The Brightest Stars
• Skymaps dot com (free monthly star maps)
• Planetarium Software
• About the GMU observatory

John Avellone's provided web sites

• FCPS/NOVAC EarthDial Web Cam at TJHSST Planetarium
• EarthDial Project Beta test webpage