Saturn will hit the opposition this week.
Every Monday I pick up the celestial highlights of the Northern Hemisphere for next week, but be sure to check out my main feed for more detailed articles on stargazing, astronomy, and eclipses. Observation details are correct for northern midlatitudes.
What to watch in the night sky this week: July 20-26, 2020
With a New Moon on Monday, the first part of this week is a good time to look for both Comet NEOWISE and the Milky Way, which should be seen as best as possible as soon as it gets dark.
If you want to see the NEOWISE kite, the best kite with the naked eye for 27 years, this week could be your last chance to see and photograph it. For now it is possible to see it even from light-contaminated cities in the northern hemisphere, but it is best seen through binoculars.
However, it’s a busy week upstairs, with Saturn reaching its prime of the year just after dark, and Mercury making an appearance before sunrise. All while a delicate crescent moon appears at sunset.
Monday July 20, 2020: new moon and Saturn in ‘opposition’
Saturn will shine tonight at its brightest and best moment of all 2020. Why is Saturn in opposition? The Earth passes today between it and the Sun, and as a consequence the disk of the planet is 100% illuminated as seen from Earth. It is also making its closest approach to Earth.
Unlike Jupiter, which can be seen perfectly through binoculars, a small telescope is needed to see Saturn’s rings.
It is also a New Moon today, when the Moon is more or less between Earth and the Sun, so the night skies have no moon and are as dark as tonight, and all this week.
Tuesday July 21, 2020: the Moon in the ‘perihelion’
It is not something you can see because the Moon is lost in the glare of the Sun today, but you should know that the Moon is in perihelion—It’s closest point to the Sun in all of 2020.
Wednesday July 22, 2020: a Mercury in the morning and a crescent Moon after dusk
Get up early this morning and you can see Mercury on the eastern horizon before sunrise. This morning it will reach its greatest separation from the Sun of the season, although it is not particularly bright; You will need binoculars and some patience to find it.
Just after sunset tonight, look west to see a delicate 6% illuminated crescent moon rapidly sinking to the horizon. You should be able to choose it with binoculars. If so, try looking for Regulus, the brightest star in the Leo constellation, just below. Regulus will be only 4.3 ° from the Moon. After spending months dominating the spring night sky, Leo is now dating.
A crescent moon and ‘Earthshine’ will be visible this week.
Thursday, July 23, 2020: a crescent moon, ‘Earthshine’ and a rocket launch to the ISS
Have you ever seen “Earthshine”, sometimes called “planet glow”? The phenomenon of the dark member of the Moon being subtly illuminated by sunlight reflected from Earth is only visible to the human eye in the last and first days of Earth’s orbit. With the moon illuminated 13% tonight after dark, it is the ideal time to try “Earthshine”.
Also seen today is the launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, carrying the Progress spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) in a scheduled cargo drop.
Friday July 24, 2020: a crescent moon and more ‘Earthshine’
About 22% illuminated and now in the Virgo constellation, the Moon is approaching its perigee for the month, the closest it is to Earth in its slightly elliptical monthly orbit. It is another great opportunity to search for “Earthshine” as well as the view of a delicate crescent moon.
Sunday July 26, 2020: the moon and Spica
Now 44% light and visible in the south long before sunset, a moon almost in the first quarter will shine brightly on the bright star Spica, the 15th brightest star in the night sky. Spica is about 250 light years away.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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