Astrophiz151-July SkyGuide

Astrophiz 151: Dr Ian Musgrave’s July SkyGuide. Enjoy your regular monthly treat for all naked-eye celestial observers, telescopers, and astrophotographers from Dr @IanfMusgrave, amateur astronomer, molecular pharmacologist and toxicologist. Listen: Ian gives us the dates of the moon phases and the best times to observe planets, clusters and deep sky objects along with the exact time to view the fully illuminated full moon. Morning skies continue to be a treat worth getting up early for, and Saturn begins is now visible in evening skies. Reddish Mars is easily viewed as it is brightening as it approaches opposition later in the year and Mars and Uranus have a close encounter at the end of the month and will be very close together on the 1st of August. In the evening skies, Scorpius is a highlight, looking magnificent with Antares as its red centrepiece, and below the Scorpion’s sting, you can identify the centre of the galaxy via the ’Teapot of Sagittarius’. Ian also talks you through the opportunity to view area around the Pre-cataclysmic spectacle of Eta Carina. For Northern hemisphere listeners, Ian introduces ‘Galaxy Season’ and our closest galaxy, the Andromeda nebula. Watch out for the Southern Delta Aquariid meteors from the 12th of July to the 23rd of August, peaking on Sunday July 30th with a rate of about 1 meteor about every 4 or 5 minutes under good conditions. In Ian’s Tangent, we discover what it would be like if the moon was made of compressible green (unripened) camembert cheese. A thought experiment for astronomy and gastronomy lovers. A great listen and lots to see in the sky in July. Thanks Ian