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2d ago

Earth’s Aphelion and Mercury’s Greatest Elongation Usher in July’s Night Sky Highlights

These alignments underscore that seasonal temperature shifts stem from Earth’s axial tilt, offering prime conditions for twilight skywatchers.

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The planet Mercury is visible as a bright point of light in the evening sky above the famous Danube River in this 2011 shot. Credit: H. Raab (Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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Overview

  • Earth reaches aphelion on July 3 at roughly 94.5 million miles from the Sun, making the solar disk appear smallest of the year.
  • Mercury attains its greatest eastern elongation on the evening of July 4, climbing about 26° from the Sun for ideal twilight viewing.
  • The full Buck Moon peaks at 4:30 p.m. EDT on July 10, reflecting indigenous lunar naming traditions linked to midsummer deer antler growth.
  • Honolulu will experience its second Lāhainā Noon of the year on July 15, when the Sun passes directly overhead and shadows momentarily disappear.
  • Late-month highlights include a crescent Moon occulting the Pleiades on July 20–21 and a Mars–Moon rendezvous in Taurus during the Southern Delta Aquariids peak on July 29–30.