Derekscope

Moon at First Quarter

• This is one of the best times to observe it ~ around 8 – 11 pm, it will be high in the southern sky in the constellation Virgo.
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Lunar X and Lunar V
Sunlight catches rims at lunar first quarter to create the bright V and X shapes.

• Best viewing time in the UK
  The phenomenon occurs in the late evening for British Summer Time (BST).
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  –…Today: Tuesday 21st July 2026
  –…Start formation: 21:05 / 9.05pm (become visible.)
  –…Peak visibility: 23:05 / 11:05pm (fully formed as best contrast.)
  –…Fade disappearing: 01:05 / 1.05am (Wednesday 22nd July 2026)
  –…Visible: Fair (difficult to spot at first ~ visible at or shortly after sunset.)
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• The Moon repeats its cycle every 29½ days, so these effects happen every month, just on slightly different dates – see the complete full timetable for 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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• Equipment
  While sometimes visible with high-power binoculars, a telescope is recommended to see the fine detail of the crater rims forming the Lunar X and V.
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Conjunction of the Moon and Venus

• The Moon and Venus have a close conjunction, one of the brightest and easiest sky pairings of the month.
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• Binoculars will show both together in a single field of view.
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Mercury at inferior solar conjunction

• Inferior conjunction occurs when Mercury passes between the Earth and the Sun.
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• At this point Mercury is essentially lost in the Sun’s glare and cannot be observed safely.
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Moon at Perigee

• The Moon reaches perigee ~ the farthest point in its orbit from Earth.
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• The Moon appears slightly smaller and dimmer in the sky compared to perigee.
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Close approach of the Moon and Mars

• The Moon’s crescent will act as an excellent guide to finding Mars.
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• Best time
  About 2:30 – 4:30am BST, before morning twilight becomes too bright.
  The Moon makes a close approach to Mars, creating an attractive pre-dawn pairing.
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• Direction
  Look toward the east to east-northeast.
  The Moon makes a close approach to Mars, creating an attractive pre-dawn pairing.
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• Appearance
  The thin crescent Moon will lie very close to Mars, making the reddish planet easy to identify.
  The Moon makes a close approach to Mars, creating an attractive pre-dawn pairing.
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• Binoculars
  The pair will fit comfortably within the same field of view in most 7×50 or 10×50 binoculars.
  The Moon makes a close approach to Mars, creating an attractive pre-dawn pairing.
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Venus near Regulus

• You should be able to see Venus shining close to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
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• How to identify them:
  – Find the brightest object low in the west—that will be Venus.
  – Look nearby for the fainter bluish-white Regulus.
  – Binoculars (7×50 or 10×50) will enhance the view, but both objects are easily visible with the naked eye if you have a clear western horizon.
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The constellation of Aries (The Ram)

• Look toward the eastern to east-northeastern horizon.
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• You’ll see a 30% illuminated waning crescent Moon rising in the early morning sky.
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• The constellation of Aries will be just above and to the right of the Moon.
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• The Moon is close enough to make the constellation much easier to locate.
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Last Quarter Moon

• At the exact moment of Last Quarter, the Moon is in the constellation Aries, while the Sun is in Gemini.
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Moon & Saturn

• If you’re observing from the UK, look toward the southeastern sky after midnight and before sunrise.
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• Binoculars will easily show both objects in the same field of view.
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