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July 2004 Astronomical Calendar

Dave Mitsky

Note: All times in UTC (EST - 5). The events listed may not all be visible from Pennsylvania.

Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

Mercury begins a lackluster apparition for northern observers this month. Its maximum altitude at sunset for our latitude occurs on July 16, well before the date of Mercury's greatest eastern elongation.

As it travels through Taurus and pulls away from the Earth, Venus increases in phase as it decreases in apparent size. Its size and phase are 29" and 39% respectively on July 31 when Venus is about 3 degrees south of the supernova remnant M1.

The closest conjunction of two planets for this year occurs on July 10 when Mars and Mercury are only 0.2 degree apart. By the end of July, 1.8 magnitude Mars sets only 50 minutes after the Sun.

Located in southern Leo, Jupiter still shines brightly at slightly less than –2.0 magnitude. At month's end the planet sets less than two hours after sunset.

Saturn is lost in the glare of the Sun until late in July when it can be seen in the east-northeastern morning sky.

Uranus draws increasingly nearer to Sigma Aquarii during July. At the end of the month the 5.7 magnitude planet lies 0.6 degree north of this star.

During July Neptune, shining at 7.8 magnitude, also has a close approach to a star as it travels westward a half degree towards Theta Capricorni. Neptune is 30' north of Theta on July 31.

Pluto is fairly high in the south in southwestern Serpens Cauda this month.

On the night of July 20 Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) is situated between Alpha and Beta Ursae Majoris.

In July Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) heads southwestward from Hercules into Bootes.

Asteroids 4 Vesta and 9 Metis are within 30' of each other for a period of 3 weeks this month.

Binary and Multiple Stars for July

Eta Draconis, 17 & 16 Draconis, Mu Draconis, Struve 2273, Nu-1 & Nu-2 Draconis, Psi Draconis (Draco); Kappa Herculis, Gamma Herulis, Struve 2063, 56 Herculis, Struve 2120, Alpha Herculis (Ras Algethi), Delta Herculis, Rho Herculis, Mu Herculis (Hercules); Rho Ophiuchi, Lambda Ophiuchi, 36 Ophiuchi, Omicron Ophiuchi, Burnham 126 (ADS 10405), Struve 2166, 53 Ophiuchi, 61 Ophiuchi (Ophiuchus); h5003 (Sagittarius); Xi Scorpii, Struve 1999, Beta Scorpii, Nu Scorpii, 12 Scorpii, Sigma Scorpii, Alpha Scorpii (Antares), h4926 (Scorpius); Struve 2007, 49 Serpentis, Struve 2031 (Serpens Caput); 53 Serpentis, Struve 2204, h4995, h2814 (Serpens Cauda); Epsilon Ursae Minoris (Ursa Minor)

Challenge binary star for July: 24 Ophiuchi

Deep-sky objects for July:
Draco:
	NGC 6140	[info]	NGC 6236	[info]	NGC 6340	[info]
	NGC 6395	[info]	NGC 6412	[info]	NGC 6503	[info]
	NGC 6543	[info]
Hercules:
	IC 4593	[info]	M 13	[info]	M 92	[info]
	NGC 6106	[info]	NGC 6166	[info]	NGC 6173	[info]
	NGC 6181	[info]	NGC 6207	[info]	NGC 6210	[info]
	NGC 6229	[info]	NGC 6482	[info]
Ophiuchus:
	B 61	[info]	B 62	[info]	B 63	[info]
	B 64	[info]	B 72	[info]	IC 4634	[info]
	IC 4665	[info]	LDN 42	[info]	LDN 1773	[info]
	M 9	[info]	M 10	[info]	M 12	[info]
	M 14	[info]	M 19	[info]	M 62	[info]
	M 107	[info]	NGC 6284	[info]	NGC 6287	[info]
	NGC 6293	[info]	NGC 6304	[info]	NGC 6309	[info]
	NGC 6356	[info]	NGC 6366	[info]	NGC 6369	[info]
	NGC 6384	[info]	NGC 6401	[info]	Tr 26	[info]
Sagittarius:
	NGC 6440	[info]	NGC 6445	[info]
Scorpius:
	B 50	[info]	B 55	[info]	B 56	[info]
	Cr 316	[info]	M 4	[info]	M 6	[info]
	M 7	[info]	M 80	[info]	NGC 6144	[info]
	NGC 6153	[info]	NGC 6192	[info]	NGC 6231	[info]
	NGC 6242	[info]	NGC 6302	[info]	NGC 6337	[info]
	NGC 6451	[info]
UrsaMinor:
	NGC 6217	[info]	NGC 6324	[info]

Challenge deep-sky object for July: NGC 6380