Everything you always wanted to know about astronomy
By Bruce Dennis

As you have discovered over the past few months, the early part of these months has been the best time for celestial viewing. This month, the New Moon (no visible Moon) occurs on July 2nd. With no light contamination we can see the other objects better. July 4th marks not only Independence Day, but also the farthest Earth is from the Sun. Shouldn't it be cold here, or does the angle of the Sun's rays have something to do with the heat? Ask an Earth Science student. By several thousand miles, it is also the farthest the two are apart this decade and the second farthest this century. Will this cancel out global warming? Maybe the 1/100th of 1% difference in the distance makes no difference. Again, if you're confused, ask a science student. On the night of the 5th/6th, the cresacent Moon is to the lower right of the Mars/Saturn pair. On the 8th/9th, Jupiter will rise at about Sunset and set at about Sunrise. Since it's up all night, you ought to get some good glimpses of the giant. On the night of July 9th/10th, Jupiter and Mars will be very close to each other -- so close that you probably can't get your little finger (at the end of your outstretched arm) between them.

July

We have a Full Moon on the 18th. The Delta Aquarid meteor shower occurs during the last week of July. The shower is occassionally impressive and best viewed just before dawn.

Venus returns to our view this month. This slow return results in only a blurry image at about a fistwidth above the western horizon at Sunset. It will be blurry because it is so low in the sky and we're looking through a lot of air and pollution. In the West in the month's beginning at nightfall, is Mars. It is less than a fistwidth from Saturn, and closing the gap. Mars and Saturn lie only about a fingerwidth apart between July 6th and the 13th. They'll be less than a fingerwidth apart on the 10th. If you remember, Mars and Saturn were very close together in June of 2006. This year, the conjunction of the two will not be as close as it was then. But they won't be closer until April 2022.

On July 9th, Jupiter reaches its most blinding brightness this month. It won't be this bright again for all of this year, but it'll be this bright for the remaining time in July (about 3 weeks). Jupiter rises around Sunset, but is best seen if you wait until midnight. Although it's really bright, it only gets to about 1/4 of the distance to directly overhead from the horizon. At midnight, Jupiter will be about 25 degrees above the southern horizon. This will be its position all month. It'll be a very large disc in your telescope, so check out those gas bands and moons -- you'll be happy you did.

Mercury rises just before the Sun. Observe the East-northeastern horizon with binoculars about 45 minutes before Sunrise -- it'll only be about 35% lit, since its getting 'closer' to the Sun (it's rising later and later each evening), it'll be 'lost' in the solar glare toward the end of the month. On July 1st, it'll rise at about 45 minutes before the Sun, but by the 20th. it'll rise at about time as the Sun. Don't try to find it -- you won't! Looking toward the Sun with unprotected eyes is bad news. Your eyes are too important to be put in jeopardy just to prove that I'm wrong. Take my word for it.

Now that the nights are getting longer, observing the heavens is no longer a 'hurry up' chore. Find a dark, bugless area and make yourself comfortable. On a clear night, lie on your back in an open field and look up. Even with the naked eye, there is a lot to see. Happy viewing.

Bruce Dennis is a retired science teacher from Haverling High School.