The nights are getting longer ... slowly. Mercury is still close to the Sun and best seen from after 9.30 pm to 10 pm. The little planet is in the constellation Cancer. And so is Venus, rather close to the Sun and a challenge to find between 9.20 pm to 9.50 pm. Venus is in the constellation Cancer. Mars is still bright and best seen from 9.35 pm to 0.30 am. The red planet is in the constellation Libra. Jupiter is getting towards the Sun. The giant planet is best seen from 9.35 pm to 11 pm in the constellation Leo. Saturn is near the area of Mars and best seen from 10.10 pm to 1.40 am. The planet with the rings is in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Wednesday 20 July
The International Space Station (ISS) appears after midnight at 1.39 am in the South East at an altitude of 30°. Soon ISS disappears at 1.44 am in the Eastern horizon. ISS is visible with the naked eye and moves as a bright star in the night sky. Worth a watch.
Satellites are easy to spot in the sky. They move slowly, as a dot or star. Iridium flares lit up sudden and at certain times and places. At 2.25 am an Iridium flare appears in the North West at an altitude of 24° in the constellation Canes Venatici.
An orbit of ISS around the Earth takes about 90 minutes. The next pass of ISS is at 3.12 am in the West South West at an altitude of 11°. Culmination is at 3.15 am in the South and at 66° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 3.20 am in the East. One more orbit and ISS appears at 4.46 am in the West. Culmination is at 4.51 am in the South South West at an altitude of 54°. ISS disappears at 4.57 am in the East South East horizon.
Thursday 21 July
A night to observe the International Space Station. ISS appears after midnight at 0.47 am in the East South East at an altitude of 14°. ISS disappears already after 3 minutes in the Eastern horizon.
Look out for a bright Iridium flare at 2.18 am. The flash is visible in the North West at an 22° in the constellation Canes Venatici. A minute after, at about the same spot, another flare is visible.
ISS appears again at 2.20 am in the West South West and 27° above the horizon. Culmination is at 2.22 am in the South South East at an altitude of 57°. ISS disappears at 2.27 am in the Eastern horizon.
Another flare appears at 3.51 am in the West North West at an altitude of 57° in the constellation Draco.
After another orbit around the Earth, which takes about 90 minutes, ISS appears again at 3.53 am in the West. Culmination is at 3.58 am in the South and 64° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 4.03 am in the East South East.
Closing the night (morning) off with another Iridium flare at 4.25 am in the East at an altitude of 28° in the constellation Taurus.
Friday 22 July
ISS is still the highlight and appears at 1.29 am in the South South East at 45° above the horizon. ISS disappears already at 1.34 am in the Eastern horizon. After one orbit, ISS appears again at 3.01 am in the West. Culmination is at 3.05 am in the South at an altitude of 69°. ISS disappears at 3.10 am in the East.
The Moon is close to the star called Lam Aqr at 3.55 am. They are about 2.5 lunar diameters separated. The Moon phase is 89%.
A rather bright Iridium flare appears at 4.19 am in the East and at an altitude 28° in the constellation Taurus.
Once more, ISS appears at 4.36 am in the West. Culmination is at 4.41 am in the South South West at an altitude of 39°. ISS disappears at 4.46 am in the East South East.
Saturday 23 July
A nice challenge to spot this bright daytime Iridium flare in the East North East at an altitude of 77° in the constellation Draco. After midnight, at 2.27 am a bright flare appears in the North East at an altitude of 45° in the constellation Cassiopeia.
The Moon is close to the star Phi Aqr at 11.10 pm. They are about 8 lunar diameters separated. The Moon phase is 82%.
ISS appears at 2.10 am in the West South West at an altitude of 19°. Culmination is at 2.12 am in the South and 68° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 2.17 am in the East.
An Iridium flare appears at 2.15 am in the North West at an altitude of 18° in the constellation Canes Venatici. A very very bright flare appears at 3.45 am in the West North West at an altitude of 53° in the constellation Draco.
ISS appears again at 3.43 am in the West. Culmination is at 3.48 am in the South South West at an altitude of 51°. ISS disappears at 3.54 am in the East South East.
Sunday 24 July
A night to watch the satellites. At 10.27 pm an Iridium flare appears in the North East at an altitude of 47° in the constellation Cepheus.
ISS appears for a short while at 11.46 pm in the East and 10° above the horizon. ISS disappears after 2 minutes in the Eastern horizon. One orbit around the Earth and ISS appears again at 1.18 am in the South West and at an altitude of 41°. Culmination is at 1.19 am in the South and 60° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 1.24 am in the East. Missed the previous ISS passes? One more at 2.51 am in the West. Culmination is at 2.55 am in the South at an altitude of 62°. ISS disappears at 3.01 am in the East South East. And ... once more, at 4.26 am ISS appears again in the West. Culmination is at 4.32 am in the South South West at an altitude of 26°. ISS disappears at 4.37 am in the South East.
Monday 25 July
The equation of time is at minimum with -6.51 minutes. This is at 6.14 pm. So the sundials are late. The equation of time reaches a minor minimum. The Sun culminates or is at its highest point in the sky after the mean noon.
At 10.21 pm an Iridium flare appears in the North East at an altitude of 46° in the constellation Cepheus.
ISS appears at 10.46 pm in the South South West. Culmination is at 10.50 pm in the South East at only 16° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 10.54 pm in the East. ISS appears again at 0.26 am in the South at an altitude of 47°. Culmination is at that point and ISS disappears at 0.31 am in the East. And after an orbit ISS appears again at 1.58 am in the West. Culmination is at 2.02 am in the South and at 69° altitude. ISS disappears at 2.08 am in the East.
Another Iridium flare appears at 2.11 am in the North North West at altitude of 14° in the constellation Canes Venatici.
The Moon is close to the stars Mu and Nu Psc at 3.30 am. They are respectively 2 and 6 lunar diameters separated. The altitude is 31° and the Moon phase is 60%.
ISS appears once more at 3.34 am in the West. Culmination is at 3.39 am in the South South West at an altitude of 36°. ISS disappears at 3.44 am in the South East.
A very bright Iridium flare appears at 4.10 am in the East at an altitude of 31° in the constellation Taurus.
Tuesday 26 July
ISS appears at 9.53 pm in the South South West. Culmination is at 9.58 pm in the South East at only 11° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 10.02 pm in the East.
At 10.15 pm an Iridium flare appears in the North East at an altitude of 48° in the constellation Cepheus.
And another ISS pass at 11.28 pm in the South West. Culmination is at 11.33 pm in the South South East and 36° high. ISS disappears at 11.39 pm in the East.
A brighter flare is at 11.38 pm in the North North East at only 11° above the horizon in the constellation Auriga.
It is Last Quarter Moon at 11.59 pm. This is the 6th biggest Last Quarter Moon of the last 100 years, the biggest of the last 10 years, the 4th biggest of the next 100 years, the biggest of the next 10 years, the biggest of the year, the biggest of the decade, and the 4th biggest of the century. The former larger Last Quarter Moon was on 16 July 1998. The next larger Last Quarter Moon is on 3 June 2059.
ISS appears once more at 1.04 am in the West. Culmination is at 1.10 am in the South at an altitude of 69°. ISS disappears at 1.15 am in the East.
There are two Iridium flares in the constellation Ursa Major, both at an altitude of 12° in the North North West. One at 2.05 am and the other 1 minute after. Worth a watch.
ISS appears again at 2.41 am in the West. Culmination at 2.46 am in the South South West at an altitude of 47°. ISS disappears at 2.51 am in the East Sout East horizon.
The Moon is close to the star called Xi 2 Cet at 3.30 am. They are less than 2 lunar diameters apart. The altitude is 27° and the Moon phase is 48%. A little further away, at about 10 lunar diameters, you will see the star Mu Cet.
ISS appears once more at 4.17 am in the West. Culmination is at 4.22 am in the South West and 16° above the horizon. ISS disappears at 4.26 am in the South South East.
Wednesday 27 July
At 12.34 pm the Moon is in perigee. The distance of the Moon to the Earth is 369626.5 km or for the British … 213016.6 miles.
The International Space Station (ISS) can be seen with the naked eye. It moves slowly as a bright dot or star through the night sky. ISS appears at 10.35 pm at the South West horizon. At 10.39 pm ISS passes the planet Saturn with about 2 lunar diameters. Worth a watch and a good opportunity to make pictures. Culmination or highest point in the sky is at 10.40 pm in the South South East and at an altitude of 26°. ISS disappears at 10.46 pm in the Eastern horizon. A rotation or one orbit of ISS around the Earth takes approximately 90 minutes. The next appearance is at 0.11 am in the West South West. Culmination is at 0.17 am in the South at an altitude of 63°. ISS disappears again at 0.22 am in the East. And if you missed the two previous ISS passes, there are still two other opportunities in the morning. ISS appears again at 1.48 am in the West. Culmination is at 1.53 am in the South at an altitude of 59°. ISS disappears at 1.58 am in the East South East. And once more ... ISS appears at 3.24 am in the West. Culmination is at 3.29 am in the South South West at an altitude of 23°. ISS disappears at 3.34 am in the South East.
The meteor shower called Beta-Cassiopeids is best seen from about 11 pm to 3.35 am. The expectation is that you will see 4 to 5 meteors an hour. All rather fast with a velocity of 51.6 kilometre a second.
Get in touch with me via www.patrickpoitevin.weebly.com if you need more information.