July 2026 – What’s Up!

Week of 27th July

• Astronomical Twilight ends at 00:11 BST at the start of the week and at 23:39 BST by the end of the week.
• Mercury (+0.1) reaches greatest western elongation on Sunday, making it best placed for observation in the eastern morning sky, rising at 03:57 BST.
• Venus (-4.2) sets at around 22:30 BST this week. Saturn (+0.7) rises at 23:17 BST, and Mars (+1.3) follows at 01:47 BST.
• The Full Moon this week means we need brighter targets for the deep sky challenge, so we start with the globular cluster M2 (+6.6) in Aquarius. Move up about 13° to find another globular, M15 (+6.3) in Pegasus. Finish with Gamma Delphini (+3.9) a beautiful double star with a separation of 8.7 arcseconds, forming the nose of the dolphin.
• The Moon is Full on Wednesday – the Buck Moon.
• The Sun currently has 5 active regions and the sunspot number is 86.
• There are no visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).

Week of 20th July

• Astronomical Twilight ends at 00:59 BST on Tuesday, but only for 30 minutes, by the end of the week astronomical twilight ends at 00:16 BST, giving 1 hour 55 minutes of astronomical darkness.
• Venus (-4.2) is bright above the western evening horizon, setting at around 22:53 BST this week. Saturn (+0.7) rises at 23:48 BST, followed by Mars (+1.3) at 02:00 BST. Saturn enters retrograde motion on Sunday, lasting until December.
• Ophiuchus, the thirteenth constellation of the zodiac, is our target area this week. Start with Messier 12 (+6.1), a globular cluster some 16,000 light years away at the bottom of the teapot. Move to the spout to find the open cluster IC 4665 (+4.2), and finish a few degrees to the east with the double star 70 Ophiuchi (+4.2) with a separation of 6.7 arcseconds.
• The Moon is First Quarter on Tuesday.
• The Sun currently has 2 active regions and the sunspot number is 24.
• There are multiple visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).

Week of 13th July

• Astronomical Twilight does not end until the 21st July.
• Venus (-4.1), currently in Leo, dominates the western evening horizon, setting at around 23:05 BST this week. Saturn (+0.7) rises at 00:15 BST, followed by Mars (+1.3) at 02:10 BST.
• With this week’s dark skies of the New Moon, find yourself an observing location with a good low southerly horizon to discover some gems of the lower reaches of the Milky Way. Start in Sagittarius to find the globular cluster, M22 (+5.2), then up a few degrees to M17 (+6.0), the Omega Nebula, and on to finish with the Eagle Nebula, M16 (+6.4) in Serpens. Nebulae are hard to spot with the naked eye, a high contrast or OIII filter might help, or better take a photo!
• The Moon is New on Tuesday.
• The Sun currently has 4 active regions and the sunspot number is 82.
• There are multiple visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).

Week of 6th July

• Astronomical Twilight does not end until the 21st July.
• The Earth reaches aphelion on Monday, its most distant point in its orbit around the Sun. The seasons are all to do with the tilt of the Earth’s axis and hours of sunlight, not it being close or far from the Sun; though this does also have a small impact on temperatures.
• Venus (-4.1) is bright in the western evening sky, setting at around 23:20 BST this week. Saturn (+0.8) rises at 00:42 BST, followed by Mars (+1.3) at 02:20 BST.
• We are in the bottom reaches of the Summer Triangle this week to hunt the large asterism Brocchi’s Cluster (+3.6), also known as the ‘Coathanger’, use binoculars to find this pattern of stars in Vulpecula. Move west a few degrees to find the Dumbbell Nebula, M27 (+7.1). Finish with the globular cluster Messier 71 (+8.4) 13,000 light years away in the constellation of Sagitta.
• The Moon is Last Quarter on Tuesday.
• The Sun currently has 5 active regions and the sunspot number is 97.
• There are multiple visible evening ISS passes this week (click here for full ISS pass details).