The Eagle Nebula, M16, is 7000 light-years from Earth and spans 70 by 55 light-years. It is home to several famous cosmic structures, including the stunning Pillars of Creation, which stretch roughly 4 to 5 light-years, and Stellar Spire, approximately 9.5 light-years or 90 trillion kilometres high. Photo by MPAS member Nik Axaris
Highlights this month
- 5MonMercury at greatest morning elongation (22° from the Sun, mag 0.4) — best morning apparition. (5:44am)
- 12MonThe Moon passes Venus — 3° apart. (9:05pm)
- 12MonThe Moon passes Mars — 4° apart. (10:20pm)
- 13TueVenus and Mars in conjunction — 0.5° apart. (11:33pm)
- 25SunThe Moon passes Saturn — 4° apart. (4:04am)
- 26MonThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (1:48pm)
- 30FriSouthern Delta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 25/hr). A bright 62% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 30FriAlpha Capricornids meteor shower peaks (up to 5/hr). A bright 62% Moon interferes badly this year.
In July, if you look towards the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius on a clear night, then you are looking in the direction of the very heart of our galaxy. Sagittarius, the Archer, is nestled within a mesmerisingly detailed part of the Milky Way. You can find it by first locating the Teapot asterism, which forms the constellation’s hub, close to a notably bright swathe of the Milky Way. A scan of Sagittarius with binoculars or small telescope will reveal many rich star clusters and bright nebulae.
The Teapot asterism is made up of eight stars. Its stubby spout is marked by the stars Gamma, Epsilon, Lambda and Delta Sagittarii, while Phi, Sigma, Zeta, and Tau make its handle. Scattered around the Teapot are some interesting binocular and small telescope targets, including the bright Lagoon Nebula M8, the magnitude 4.6 open cluster M25, and the globular cluster M22. A small telescope shows many of M22’s brightest stars. It is the third-brightest globular cluster in the sky and can be seen with just the naked eye in particularly dark and clear skies. M8, the Lagoon Nebula, located above the spout of the Teapot, is a glowing cloud of gas and a stunning sight through binoculars. It appears as a misty patch with the star cluster NGC 6530 nestled within it.
Looking north, the wonderful globular cluster M5 is high in the sky at this time. It is roughly 25,000 light-years away from Earth, towards the constellation Serpens Caput. A small telescope brings many of its outer stars into focus. A short hop east over Ophiuchus into Serpens Cauda and you will find the open cluster M16 surrounded by the much fainter Eagle Nebula. And if you look at the moon on July 24 you will see Saturn close by, then the following night Jupiter will be near the moon.
By Nerida Langcake
This article appeared in the July 2021 issue of the Mornington Peninsula Magazine.
The sky in detail — July 2021
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 | 7:37am | 5:10pm | 9h 33m | 6:45pm | 6:03am |
| Sat 10 | 7:36am | 5:15pm | 9h 39m | 6:49pm | 6:02am |
| Tue 20 | 7:31am | 5:22pm | 9h 51m | 6:55pm | 5:58am |
| Sat 31 | 7:22am | 5:31pm | 10h 09m | 7:02pm | 5:51am |
Days lengthen by about 36 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Last QuarterFri 2, 7:13am
- New MoonSat 10, 11:23am
- First QuarterSat 17, 8:15pm
- Full MoonSat 24, 12:33pm
- Last QuarterSat 31, 11:19pm
Apogee 5 Jul (405,600 km) · Perigee 21 Jul (364,600 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Gem | −0.7 | 6:20am | 11:08am | 3:56pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Leo | −3.7 | 9:14am | 2:26pm | 7:38pm | Evening |
| Mars | Leo | 1.8 | 9:10am | 2:21pm | 7:33pm | Evening |
| Jupiter | Aqr | −2.5 | 8:19pm | 3:03am | 9:44am | Morning |
| Saturn | Cap | 0.2 | 6:40pm | 1:46am | 8:47am | Morning |
| Uranus | Ari | 5.8 | 2:25am | 7:36am | 12:47pm | Morning |
| Neptune | Psc | 7.8 | 10:07pm | 4:25am | 10:39am | Morning |
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 bright 62% 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 62% Moon interferes badly this year.
Computed for The Briars, Mt Martha. Times are local (Melbourne).
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 15 July 2026.
The solar system — July 2021
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
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