This week is for stargazing! Let's hope for some clear skies! These best time to view the sky will be tomorrow, July 20th, because of the new moon. The new moon will mean that the sky will be very dark and the stars will be most visible. Below the videos, I included a sky calendar for the rest of the summer. This includes the best time to see planets, meteor showers, and moon phases.
I also included a video about cloud types for those of us who like to go to bed early (:
This first video will help to explain why we see what we see in the night sky.
This video will help you to identify some night sky features.
This video will explain the different cloud types and why they form.
Sky calendar:
July 15th to July 23rd: The NEOWISE Comet
This comet was only discovered this March! After it passes this summer, it won't be seen for another 6,800 years, so don't miss your opportunity. It will be visible shortly after sunset in the northwestern sky (just below the big dipper). It will look like a fuzzy star with a bit of a tail.
July 20th (tomorrow): New moon
With a dark sky, this will be the perfect night for viewing the stars.
July 22nd: Mercury
Mercury will be at it's highest point above the horizon. Look for a bright planet to the east in the morning just before sunrise.
July 28th and 29th: peak of the Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
Best viewed around midnight. The bulk of the meteors will be visible around the constellation Aquarius but can be seen in any part of the sky.
August 3rd: Full moon
This month's full moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon by the Native Americans because August was typically the best time for fishing for Sturgeons in the Great Lakes region.
August 11th and 12th: peak of the Persieds Meteor Shower
This meteor shower will produce up to 60 meteors per hour. Best viewed around midnight.
August 13th: Venus
Venus will be at it's highest point above the horizon. Look for a bright planet in the east just before sunrise.