July is giving us two meteor showers by month’s end, and a string of nebulae and star clusters to keep us entertained throughout the month. Planets Venus, Mars, and Saturn will be seen in the night sky for a certain period, and the Milky Way shows up even a little earlier for stargazers.
Book your visit this July to see your favourite object in space. We offer a guided Observatory tour and night sky observation via traditional and smart telescopes, like Vespera and Stellina. Al Sadeem Astronomy is the only distributor of these smart telescopes here in the Middle East. You can place an order or inquiry here.
Check out the list of night sky companions when you visit the Observatory this month, and some dates worth taking note of to help you plan your stargazing.
Observable Objects
During the tour time from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in July 2023, visitors can see below listed objects.
Conventional Telescope observations
1. Planet Venus & Mars
Note: Up to 10th July 2023, Venus & Mars will appear just above the horizon. We can show these planets only depend on the weather & dust glow.
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2. Planet Saturn
Note: Only after 25th July 2023
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3. False Comet Cluster (NGC6231) – known as False comet cluster located in the tail of Scorpius constellation. Because of the young blue stars in the cluster it is also called the “Northern Jewel Box.”
4. Butterfly Cluster (M6) or Splendors of heavens – 94 million years old Milky Way star cluster situated in the scorpius constellation. Once in every 29 million years it crosses the galactic plane.
5. Hourglass Cluster – The famous hourglass cluster (NGC 6530) situated In the Sagittarius constellation within the proximity of the Lagoon Nebula. Astrometric data suggests that the parent molecular cloud collided with the galactic plane some four million years ago which triggered the massive star formation.
6. Moon
Full Moon – 3rd July 2023
Last Quarter – 10th July 2023
New Moon – 17th July 2023
First Quarter – 26th July 2023
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Smart Telescope Observations
- Lagoon Nebula – M8
The Lagoon Nebula, also known as Messier 8 (M8), is located in the Sagittarius constellation with a huge interstellar cloud of gas and dust.
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- Trifid Nebula – M20
The Trifid Nebula, also known as Messier 20 (M20), is famous for its dark dust lanes.
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- Omega Nebula – M17
The Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula in the Sagittarius constellation.
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- Eagle Nebula / Pillars of Creation – M16
Marvelous pillar structure in the middle of the nebulosity makes its significance in the Astrophotography world.
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Noticeable Sky Events
- Conjunction of Venus & Mars – 1 July 2023
The planets Venus and Mars will pass within three and half degrees of each other. Both planets will be visible with the naked eye in the constellation Leo.
- Venus at great brightness – 9th July 2023
Venus reaches its brightest when it is still a crescent phase (less than half of its disk illuminates). This is because it is much closer to the Earth during its crescent phases than at other times. This is going to be the last opportunity of the year to see the bright Venus in the evening sky.
- α-Capricornid meteor shower 2023 – 30th July 2023
The Comet 169P/NEAT is the parent comet of the α-Capricornid meteor shower, will be active from 3rd July to 15th August 2023, and will peak at 30th July 2023. The shower is likely to produce its best displays at midnight around 12:00 A.M., when its radiant point is highest in the sky.
- Southern δ-Aquariid meteor shower 2023 – 30th July 2023
The Southern δ-Aquariid meteor shower will produce 25 meteors per hour (ZHR) when it reaches its peak. The Comet P/2008 Y12 (SOHO) is the parent body responsible for the shower.
Sunrise & set parameters
Date Sunrise Sunset
01 July 2023 5:35 A.M. 7:14 P.M.
31 July 2023 5:48 A.M. 7:06 P.M.
References
- https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?year=2023&month=7&maxdiff=7
- http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html
- https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi