July 2025

Hello and welcome to UT Skywatch!

Mars is setting in the West at about 11:30 p.m. midmonth. It is about 2.02 a.u. from earth so you aren’t likely to see any detail. A waxing crescent moon is next to Mars on the 29th.

Saturn rises about 1 a.m. and its rings have opened back up a bit since ring plane crossing back in March. The ringed planet is joined by a bright waxing gibbous moon on the 16th.

Venus, about half as bright as it was in February, rises about 3:45 a.m. by midmonth and is joined by thin waning crescent moon on the 21st. The moon, Venus and the Pleiades make a nice triangle.

Two meteor showers blaze across the skies this month and both happening at the same time. The Southern delta Aquariids and the alpha Capricornids both peak on the night of the 29th and early morning hours of the 30th. The Aquariids, under perfect seeing conditions, could bring as many as 25 meteors per hour however the Capricornids might muster as many as 5 per hour as they both are best seen in the predawn hours. The moon will not be an issue as it sets about 10:45 p.m. on the 29th. Dark skies are recommended of course and lay on the ground, feet pointed south and being patient will be helpful.

The moon phases for this month are first quarter on the 2nd, full on the 10th, last quarter on the 17th and new on the 23rd.