July 2026 Calendar
At any moment of the day, countless awe-inspiring celestial events are unfolding in the sky. With a universe of options, it can be hard to pin down what to observe. The purpose of this calendar is to provide a peek into what’s happening in the sky and in the world of astronomy in general and provide a quick list of highlights that can jump start your own explorations.
July 7-8 – Moon near Saturn
The ringed-beauty Saturn and the waning crescent Moon will make a visually close approach in the Pisces constellation after midnight and into the pre-dawn sky July 7th and 8th.
Astrophotographer David G. Aucoin captured Saturn with the aid of an Explore Scientific FirstLight 80mm Refractor.
July 9 – Asteroids at opposition
Those who have access to a telescope with an aperture of at least 4 inches may catch a glimpse of an asteroid on July 9. Asteroid 8 Flora and Asteroid 18 Melpomene will both be at opposition, which means they will be essentially at a position directly opposite of the Sun when viewed from Earth. At the same time, they also will be at their closest approach to Earth. The combination of these factors means the asteroids will be in a prime viewing position. Asteroid 8 Flora will be within the Sagittarius constellation as it reaches a peak brightness of magnitude 8.9. Asteroid 18 Melpomene will be in Aquila as it reaches a magnitude of 9.0.
July 16/17 – Moon, Venus & Regulus Team Up
The thin crescent Moon will have a meet-up with the always-brilliant Venus and Leo’s brightest star – Regulus on the nights of July 16th and 17th. Also known as “Little King,” Regulus pops in the night sky even to the unaided eye. Boasting an apparent visual magnitude of 1.35, this blue-white beauty anchors the sickle-shaped asterism that defines the head of Leo and is said to represent the beast’s heart. Regulus is actually a multiple star system that can be at least partially resolved with binoculars. Its dominant component has an interesting oblate shape due to rapid rotation.
July 16-22 - Anniversary of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impact on Jupiter
This week marks the 32nd anniversary of the dramatic collision between pieces of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter. The comet was discovered on March 24, 1993, by the established comet-hunting team of Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker and David Levy in a photo taken at the Palomar Observatory in California. It quickly became clear that this comet deserved special attention as it was orbiting Jupiter instead of the Sun. Further analysis revealed that the now-fragmented comet had probably been orbiting Jupiter for decades intact. But in July 1992, it got too close, and Jupiter’s intense gravitational forces broke the icy body’s nucleus up into a string of pieces that were put on a collision course with the giant planet. Once the probability of a collision was clear, astronomers and scientists across the globe prepared for an unprecedented event – the first observed collision of two solar system bodies. From July 16th to July 22nd, 1994, at least 21 separate fragments impacted Jupiter’s atmosphere and put on a stunning and revealing show for telescopes on Earth and in space. Conspicuous and impressive scars soon dotted the planet’s Southern Hemisphere. The largest chunk, identified as Fragment G, struck on July 18th and left a massive dark spot.
July 18-31 – Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower
With the Delta Aquarids set to peak around July 30th and the legendary Perseids on the horizon, meteor shower enthusiasts should be actively scouting out their favorite dark patch of sky. Each year, the Delta Aquarid meteor shower serves as the warm-up act for the highly anticipated August performance of the annual Perseids. However, this year, the Moon could play a huge role in which shower gets a standing ovation.
At its peak, the Delta Aquarid shower produces 15-20 meteors per hour – a figure that pales in comparison to the average 80 meteors per hour that the Perseid shower can deliver during its peak. However, the Delta Aquarids will be at their pinnacle this year when the Moon is at its brightest, which means much of the show may be lost to moonlight. That’s why it’s a good idea to start meteor hunting a week or so earlier, when lunar interference is less of an issue. This unfortunate timing for the Delta Aquarid shower is great news for the Perseids, which are set to peak around the time of the New Moon.
With a radiant point in the Aquarius Constellation, the Delta Aquarids begin their annual amble across the sky in mid-July, bloom in late-July and fade out in the third week of August. They can be seen almost everywhere but favor observers in the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere’s tropics region. Like other meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids are the result of Earth’s passage through debris left behind by a comet. However, the exact source comet for this shower has been a matter of debate. The most likely candidate is Comet 96P/Machholz, which was not discovered until 1986.
To catch sight of a Delta Aquarid, observers should actually look at a dark patch of sky about 90 degrees away from the radiant point to see the most meteors. The best viewing time is after midnight in the wee pre-dawn hours. To view the meteors, all you need is your naked eye, a good place to lie down under an open sky and patience.
July 23-24 – Moon Points the Way to Antares
In the latter half of the month, the waxing gibbous Moon and the red supergiant Antares will be making a close pass. Even though they do not really share celestial real estate, it will seem like they do as they move closer together until they are visually separated by mere degrees. The binary star system Antares, which means “Rival of Mars” in Greek, is often mistaken for Mars due to its similar reddish hue. Generally identified as the 16th brightest star in the sky, Antares is an irregular variable with a red-orange glow that makes it truly pop. Closer observations with a moderate telescope could reveal its blue companion star, which can be highly challenging to discern.
July 27 - Pluto at Opposition
Although its details will remain cloaked, the dwarf planet Pluto will soon be perfectly positioned for observers with large telescopes who want a peek at the usually elusive point of light. On July 27, Pluto will reach opposition, which means it will sit directly opposite of the Sun when viewed from our planet. Around the same time, it will also be making its closest passage to Earth. During the event, Pluto will be in the Capricornus constellation.
Astrophotographer David Ng captured this image of Messier 13 with the aid of an Explore Scientific ED102 Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor.
CONSTELLATION SPOTLIGHT: Hercules
Named for one of the greatest mythological heroes, the Hercules Constellation currently stands strong in the Northern Hemisphere’s night sky proudly displaying his celestial strengths. Visible from 90° north to 50° south, Hercules is the fifth largest constellation and covers a 1,225 square degree area.
One of Hercules’ most stunning treats is the aptly named Great Globular Cluster (Messier 13). Home to hundreds of thousands of stars, this brilliant cluster covers a 145 light year span and is widely regarded as the best of its kind in the northern sky. Although it is spectacular, M13 is not the only deep sky beauty in Hercules. Other options include Messier 92, a bright globular cluster that breaks character by including an eclipsing binary in its mass of stars; Abell 39, a planetary nebula that appears as a large, near-perfect sphere; and the Hercules Cluster, a grouping of about 200 galaxies that is heavy on spirals.
When it comes to actual stargazing, one of the first subjects of note is Alpha Herculis, which is a multi-star system comprised of a variable red giant and a binary companion made up of a yellow giant and a yellow-white dwarf. Hercules also has a quarter of stars that define its identifying Keystone asterism. These are Zeta Herculis, the asterism’s brightest member; Epsilon Herculis, a spectroscopic binary; Eta Herculis, a G-class giant; and Pi Herculis, an orange giant with a nice reddish hue. Other stellar targets include Beta Herculis, a binary system that is the constellation’s brightest star; Tau Herculis, a blue subgiant; and 89 Herculis, a rare yellow supergiant with an apparent magnitude of 5.555.
Want to navigate the night sky with ease?
The Tirion Double-Sided Multi-Latitude Planisphere is a comprehensive sky map for northern hemisphere stargazers located between the equator and latitude 60° north that makes it easy to identify what constellations and major celestial objects are up in your night sky based on the date and time.
This night sky guide, which features maps crafted by noted celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, uses a double-sided design to minimize the distortion that is inherent to any polar-centered projection. This design choice means observers can see truer representations of the constellations located outside the equator (noted by a green line) by simply flipping the planisphere over.
In addition to showcasing constellations, this planisphere indicates the location of notable variable stars, open clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Other features include a line representing the ecliptic, a faint blue band for the Milky Way and a magnitude scale that indicates the brightness of the stars that are shown.
This astronomy planisphere is made of durable plastic that easily wipes clean, and the rotating components are secured with sturdy brass rivets for smooth manipulation. Guidance for using your sky map is printed on the device for quick reference.