The Sky for the Month

The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — July 1987

Computed for The Briars, Mt Martha. Times are local (Melbourne).

Highlights this month

  • 4SatMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (1:55pm)
  • 15WedMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (3:31pm)
  • 18SatThe Moon passes Jupiter — 3° apart. (11:57am)
  • 25SatMercury at greatest morning elongation (20° from the Sun, mag 0.2) — best morning apparition. (7:24pm)
  • 30ThuSouthern Delta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 25/hr). A thin 17% Moon leaves the sky dark.
  • 30ThuAlpha Capricornids meteor shower peaks (up to 5/hr). A thin 17% Moon leaves the sky dark.

Sun & twilight

DateSunriseSunsetDay lengthAstro. dark beginsends
Wed 17:37am5:10pm9h 32m6:44pm6:03am
Fri 107:36am5:14pm9h 39m6:49pm6:02am
Mon 207:31am5:21pm9h 50m6:54pm5:58am
Fri 317:23am5:30pm10h 07m7:01pm5:51am

Days lengthen by about 35 minutes over the month.

The Moon

  • First QuarterSat 4, 6:33pm
  • Full Moon SupermoonSat 11, 1:36pm
  • Last QuarterSat 18, 6:20am
  • New MoonSun 26, 6:37am

Perigee 11 Jul (356,800 km) · Apogee 25 Jul (406,300 km)

The planets

Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.

PlanetInMagRiseTransitSetBest
MercuryGem2.26:22am11:21am4:21pmHidden
VenusGem−3.76:55am11:40am4:24pmHidden
MarsCnc1.88:26am1:22pm6:18pmHidden
JupiterPsc−2.11:04am6:36am12:08pmMorning
SaturnOph0.12:33pm9:46pm5:03amEvening
UranusOph5.62:59pm10:21pm5:47amEvening
NeptuneSgr7.83:58pm11:15pm6:36amEvening

Meteor showers

  • Southern Delta Aquariids — peaks 30 July, radiant in Aquarius (up to 25/hr). A favourite southern shower with a high radiant — steady rates through the small hours; overlaps the Alpha Capricornids. A thin 17% Moon leaves the sky dark.
  • Alpha Capricornids — peaks 30 July, radiant in Capricornus (up to 5/hr). Low rates but noted for slow, bright fireballs; radiant well placed from the south. A thin 17% Moon leaves the sky dark.

The solar system — July 1987

Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare

Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 20 August 2026.