SkyEye

The Calendar

The Solar System

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for 'wanderer'. Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars. Dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies, including comets, are not so constrained, often moving far above or below the ecliptic.

Sun Gemini → Cancer

Earth reaches its farthest point from the Sun on 6 July. The date of aphelion can range from 2 July to 6 July. The equation of time reaches a shallow minimum of nearly seven minutes on 26 July.

C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS Auriga → Gemini → Cancer → Leo → Sextans

This is probably this comet's first trip into the inner solar system. C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS has an eccentricity of almost 1, a high inclination (43°) and an orbital period of well over 30,000 years. It may reach a maximum magnitude of +3 near perihelion. The best views of this comet are from the southern hemisphere.

Mercury Taurus → Gemini → Cancer

Look for this morning sky early in July because it will vanish into the twilight by mid-month on its way to superior conjunction on 23 July. Mercury will reappear low in the west at sunset next month.

Venus Leo → Sextans

The evening star is very close to Jupiter on the first day of the month and shines a dazzling −4.5. It falls rapidly back towards the western horizon for observers in the northern hemisphere but stays well up in the sunset sky for those in the southern hemisphere wishing to catch a glimpse of our nearest planetary neighbour.

Mars Gemini

The red planet reappears in the east before sunrise following last month's conjunction with the Sun.

Jupiter Leo

Jupiter makes a majestic pairing with Venus early in the month as the two brightest planets are found close together in the west at sunset.

Saturn Libra

This bright planet is well-placed for viewing in the evening, not setting until after midnight.

Uranus Pisces

Rising about midnight at the beginning of the month, Uranus is occulted by the Moon on 9 July and reaches west quadrature four days later.

Neptune Aquarius

A small telescope is necessary to view the most distant planet in the solar system. It rises in the evening and is up most of the night as it heads for opposition in early September.

Pluto Sagittarius

A medium-sized telescope and a detailed star chart is necessary to see this magnitude 14 dwarf planet at opposition on 6 July. This distant object will receive its first visitor from Earth on 14 July when the New Horizons spacecraft flies by.