Poster’s Note: The text for this month’s installment from Dee Sharples, “The Sky In July 2026,” is provided below. Those wishing to listen to the article can click on the audio link below.
Each month, the planets are a highlight of the morning and evening sky because they can be easy to spot with your naked eye as they move across the background of stars.
During the first few evenings in July, Jupiter can be found shortly after sunset close to the western horizon at magnitude –1.8. Be sure to look for it as soon as the sky darkens because it will set within an hour. Jupiter will be only 5° above the horizon, so if you can find an observing site free of buildings and trees, it will increase your chances of spotting it.
Venus stands 20° high in the western sky measured by holding your fist out at arm’s length, starting at the horizon, and moving it upward twice. It will be brilliant at magnitude -4.1. By the end of the month, its dazzling diamond-like appearance will be even brighter at magnitude -4.3!
On Wednesday, July 1st, Regulus the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion and Venus will be one fist-width apart. In a week, they will be only 1.5° apart (a little wider than your index finger held out against the sky) before Venus moves east of the star.
The beautiful ringed planet Saturn starts the month at magnitude 0.7 and will be visible 30° high in the southeastern sky about 4:00 a.m. By the 31st, it will rise in the east two hours earlier. A quarter moon on Tuesday, July 7 will help you find it as the planet lies just 7° southeast of the Moon. To view its fabulous rings and a couple of its brightest moons, you’ll need a telescope.
On Saturday, July 11th, a waning crescent Moon joins Mars in the predawn sky 5° north of the planet. Mars will appear like a star with an orangish hue which will help you identify it.
The easily identified and beautiful constellation Sagittarius can be found low in the southern sky on July evenings. Its most notable stars form the shape of a teapot, with its handle on the left and its spout on the right. In a dark sky, you can see the glow from countless stars in our Milky Way Galaxy resembling steam rising from the spout up overhead and toward the northeast.
