The Sky for the Month

The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — July 1988

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

4MonVenus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (6:14pm)
5TueThe Moon passes Mars — 5° apart. (12:44pm)
7ThuMercury at greatest morning elongation (21° from the Sun, mag 0.3) — best morning apparition. (1:30am)
30SatSouthern Delta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 25/hr). A bright 98% Moon interferes badly this year.
30SatAlpha Capricornids meteor shower peaks (up to 5/hr). A bright 98% Moon interferes badly this year.

Date	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length	Astro. dark begins	ends
Fri 1	7:37am	5:10pm	9h 33m	6:45pm	6:03am
Sun 10	7:36am	5:15pm	9h 39m	6:49pm	6:02am
Wed 20	7:31am	5:22pm	9h 51m	6:55pm	5:58am
Sun 31	7:22am	5:31pm	10h 09m	7:02pm	5:51am

Days lengthen by about 36 minutes over the month.

Perigee 2 Jul (363,700 km) · Apogee 18 Jul (405,700 km) · Perigee 30 Jul (359,000 km)

Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.

Planet	In	Mag	Rise	Transit	Set	Best
Mercury	Gem	−0.5	6:16am	11:04am	3:53pm	Hidden
Venus	Tau	−4.6	4:44am	9:48am	2:52pm	Morning
Mars	Psc	−1.1	10:41pm	4:56am	11:10am	Morning
Jupiter	Tau	−1.9	3:35am	8:35am	1:34pm	Morning
Saturn	Sgr	0.0	3:17pm	10:35pm	5:56am	Evening
Uranus	Sgr	5.6	3:14pm	10:37pm	6:04am	Evening
Neptune	Sgr	7.8	4:05pm	11:22pm	6:43am	Evening

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 bright 98% Moon interferes badly this year.
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 bright 98% Moon interferes badly this year.

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

Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.

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