July 2007 sky events

This month's night sky show starts with a beautiful meeting of Saturn and Venus. For those who've been watching Venus all year, it's another act in a long-running evening show that's coming to an end. The ringed planet and the love goddess are less than a degree apart on the first few night of July. The two pull apart but set together for the rest of this month.

Jupiter is an overnight object a little west of Libra.

Mars is a morning object somewhat high above Taurus but below Pisces at sunrise this month.

Mercury, emerging from conjunction with the sun last month, rises at the feet of Gemini. Mercury and Gemini will be easier to spot an hour or so before sunrise in the second half of the month. Mercury reaches greatest elongation 20 degrees west of the sun on the 20th.

The moon passes Mars on the 9th, Mercury on the 13th, Saturn on the 16th, Venus on the 17th, and Jupiter on the 25th.