Sky watchers around the world will be pleased with this month’s intergalactic show!
If you’ve ever wanted to take up stargazing as a hobby, this is probably the best month to do it. There are a handful of amazing events going on in space throughout July, and thanks to a timeline of the breathtaking occurrences courtesy of AccuWeather, we know when to be on the lookout. Here’s a list of the five stunning occurrences happening in space this July that will amaze millions of eyes across the globe!
July 2: Total Solar Eclipse
Right off the bat, there will be a total solar eclipse visible from South America. *Que Bonnie Tyler!*
July 9: Saturn Gets Bright
Saturn will be closest to Earth and appear brighter than usual in the night sky on July 9, so grab a telescope or your pair of binoculars to catch a glimpse of the planet’s dazzling rings!
July 16: Thunder Moon Partial Eclipse
July’s full moon is also known as Thunder Moon, Buck Moon, the Ripe Corn Moon, the Hay Moon, and the Old Moon! On July 16, two weeks after the moon casts its shadow on the Earth, the roles will be reversed as the shadow of the Earth causes the moon to go dark. People in Asia and Australia, Europe, and Africa will be able to see a partial lunar eclipse.
July 29 and 30: Double Meteor Showers
For two nights near the end of the month, skywatchers can look south to see a pair of meteor showers: the Southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids met. The two will combine for a total of about 25 meteors per hour, peaking on the night of July 29 into the early morning hours of July 30
July 31: Black Moon
The last hours of the month will lead up to a Black Moon! It’s the opposite of a blue moon, AccuWeather explains. Instead of two full moons in a month, a black moon refers to two new moons in a month. It’ll only officially be a Black Moon for people in America since it will happen at 8:11p PST (11:11p EDT… cute!) which, for the rest of the world, will be August 1.
Black Moons are not visible as the part of the moon that is being illuminated by the sun is facing away from the Earth.