Watch the Skies - July's Night Sky Notes [updated]

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July’s Night Sky Notes: A Hero, a Crown, and Possibly a Nova!

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by Vivan White of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

 

High in the summer sky, the constellation Hercules acts as a centerpiece for late-night stargazers. At the center of Hercules is the “Keystone,” a near-perfect square shape between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus that is easy to recognize and can serve as a guidepost for some amazing sights. While not the brightest stars, the shape of the hero’s torso, like a smaller Orion, is nearly directly overhead after sunset. Along the edge of this square, you can find a most magnificent jewel - the Great Globular Cluster of Hercules, also known as Messier 13.

Read More: ➡️ NASA

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Native American tribes named July's full moon the Buck Moon after the new antlers that emerge from a buck's forehead this time of the year, according to Time and Date. Other traditional names for July's full moon include the Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon. The Anishinaabeg people call it Miin Giizis, or Berry Moon, according to the Center for Native American Studies..

A full moon always rises in the east as the sun sets in the west; after shining all night, the full moon then sets in the west as the sun rises in the east. That's because a full moon occurs when Earth is positioned perfectly between the sun and the moon, with the moon fully illuminated as seen from Earth. According to NASA, there are 29.53 days between full moons — a period called a synodic month..

https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/julys-full-buck-moon-rises-this-weekend-and-signals-a-big-lunar-transition-is-on-the-way

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The Next Full Moon is the Buck or Thunder Moon

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The Next Full Moon is the Buck or Thunder Moon; the Hay or Mead Moon; Guru Purnima; Asalha Puja (aka Dharma Day or Esala Poya); and the start of Vassa. 

The next full Moon will be Sunday morning, July 21, 2024, appearing opposite the Sun (in Earth-based longitude) at 6:17 AM EDT. For the International Date Line West and the American Samoa and Midway time zones this will be late Saturday night. For Line Islands Time this will be early Monday morning. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Friday evening through Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend. 

Read More: ➡️ NASA

 

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Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower Best Seen in Southern Hemisphere in Late July

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Most casual skywatchers know the bright, busy Perseids meteor shower arrives in late July and peaks in mid-August. Fewer are likely to name-drop the Southern delta Aquariids, which overlap with the Perseids each summer and are typically outshone by their brighter counterparts, especially when the Moon washes out the Southern delta Aquariids.

This year, with the Southern delta Aquariids set to peak on the night of July 28, the underdog shower isn’t likely to deliver any surprises. Unless you’re below the equator, it’ll take a keen eye to spot one.

Read More: ➡️ NASA

 

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