Derekscope

Moon forms diamond with Venus, Aldebaran and M45

Facts about the orange-red giant star, Aldebaran, and about 65 light years distance from Earth – roughly 44 times the Sun’s radius, and it marks the eye of the Bull in the constellation Taurus.
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Best time to view in the UK – look up around 3:30 – 4:30am and Earthshine may be visible on the Moon that soft glow on the dark side caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth.
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Moon & M45 (Open Cluster)

The Moon and the Pleiades (M45) will appear close together in the UK sky, visible in the pre-dawn hours.
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The two will be very close, within a degree of each other, making for a beautiful sight, especially with binoculars. (The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters.)
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Neptune & Saturn will appear very close together.

The Moon, Neptune, and Saturn will form a tight grouping in the early morning sky, just before dawn, making them visible in the same binoculars or low-power telescope field.
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Best viewing time around 3am, when the planets are high enough above the southern-eastern horizon for a clear view.
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This rare alignment offers a perfect opportunity for the stargazers and astrophotographers.

Skygazers across the UK are in for a treat this week as the Moon rises and it’s not one to miss.
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A huge orange rises in Milton Keynes.

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Moon illusion which makes the moon appear larger than it actually is.

The Buck Moon – this name comes from Native American traditions. July is when male deer (bucks) begin to grow new antlers, symbolizing growth and regeneration – see Full Moon names and meaning.
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So if you step outside that evening and find yourself marvelling at a moon that looks like it’s been super-sized at the low horizon ~ this’s called Moon illusion.
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Moon illusion – why does the Moon look so big happens?
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– the trick of your brain makes the Moon appear larger when it’s on the horizon.
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– The Moon’s apparent size change during its rise is an optical illusion called the Moon illusion.
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– The Moon appears larger on the horizon than when it’s higher in the sky.
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– This is not a change in the Moon’s actual size, but rather how our brains perceive it.
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Venus will be the “Morning Star” in the east.

At 5am, Venus reaches at 90º azimuth and Altitude +23º in the eastern sky but it will be visible before sunrise, rising shortly before 3 a.m. local time and remaining visible until sunrise – it will be located between the star Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus.
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How to sign Venus in BSL?

Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation – that’s meaning it will be most visible in the evening sky, so at these times ~ Mercury will be at its farthest apparent distance from the Sun as viewed from Earth.

Earth at aphelion

Earth reaches aphelion ~ its farthest point from the Sun in its yearly orbit. At that moment, Earth will be about 94.5 million miles (or 152.1 million kilometres) from the Sun.
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Despite being farther away, it’s still summer in the Northern Hemisphere – that’s because seasons are caused by Earth’s axial tilt, not its distance from the Sun.

Lunar X is optional features on the moon, visible through a telescope for several hours around the time of the first quarter moon (See my pervious photos of Lunar X).

The next one for Lunar X again will be on Friday 1st August at 10:30 / 10:30am BST.