July 2024 – Events and Planet Finder Charts

Use the finder charts on this page to guide you to where to look for the planets in July 2024.

Don’t have a telescope to look at the planets or Moon? Remember you can contact your local astronomical society about holding a telescope viewing session for your school, youth group or other organisation.

A few pointers:

  • All planets visible to the unaided eye look like stars. Planets visible to the unaided eye include Mercury, Venus, Earth (look down!), Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
  • Planet visibility in 2024
    • TimeandDate.com will generate customised visiblity information for your location. Just make sure you specify where you are.
    • You can download planet rise and set times for different Australian capital cities from Quasar Publishing’s site.
  • In a telescope, Uranus and Neptune are visible as tiny discs. The minor planet Pluto remains looking like a star in even the largest amateur telescope.
  • Stars are shown to magnitude 5 on the charts unless otherwise noted. This is a compromise between what you would see from the light polluted skies of a city (where you will see significantly less stars) and dark country skies (where you will see significantly more stars).
  • Unless otherwise noted, the finder charts are prepared for Wollongong, NSW. The charts will be useful for elsewhere in Eastern Australia including Canberra.
  • Planet finder charts usually focus on when the Moon is next to a particular planet. That lets beginning astronomers use the Moon as a ‘signpost’ to find that particular planet.

Mid-July 2024 – International Space Station visible – Morning twilight sky

The International Space Station will be visible in the morning twilight sky across Eastern Australia. Exact times and viewing directions for mid-July will vary for your location. See this separate post for more information.

2 July 2024 – Moon, Mars and Jupiter – Morning pre-dawn sky

Moon, Mars and Jupiter finder chart. Note that Uranus is shown on the chart but is not visible to the unaided eye. Chart prepared for 5.30 am AEST on 2 July 2024 for #Wollongong NSW (but will be also useful for elsewhere in Eastern Australia). Chart created using the highly recommended Sky Safari 7 Pro app.

8 July 2024 – Moon and Mercury – Evening twilight sky

Look low above the North West horizon to see a very slim crescent Moon and Mercury. Binoculars will aid in locating both celestial objects. Moon and Mercury chart prepared for Monday 8 July 2024 at 6.15 pm AEST for Sydney, NSW (but will be also useful for elsewhere in Eastern Australia). Chart created using the Stellarium astronomy freeware program.

8 to 21 July 2024 – Record the changing appearance of the Moon – Evening twilight sky

An easy but rewarding observing activity is to record the changing appearance of the Moon between New Moon and Full Moon. If you observe it at the same time each evening (end of evening twilight), you will notice that the Moon moves from the West to the East. This movement demonstrates the Moon’s movement in it’s orbit around the Earth. Download the recording chart.

Download the full resolution version of the recording chart.

15 July 2024 – Look for Omega Centauri – Evening sky

Binoculars will show Omega Centauri as a fuzzy blob. From dark skies, it is visible as a faint star. Chart prepared for 15 July 2024 for 8.30 pm. However, it will be visible in the evening sky for the next few months.

16 July 2024 – Mars and Uranus close (plus Jupiter) – Morning pre-dawn sky

This morning presents a good opportunity to locate the planet Uranus using only a large pair of binoculars (or better still a small telescope). Uranus will be located only a Moon width away from Mars. Don’t expect a dramatic view of either planet due to their distance from our home planet.

Mars and Jupiter finder chart. Note that Uranus is shown on the chart but is not visible to the unaided eye. Chart prepared for 5.30 am AEST on 16 July 2024 for #Wollongong NSW (but will be also useful for elsewhere in Eastern Australia). Chart created using the highly recommended Sky Safari 7 Pro app.

24 July 2024 – Moon and Saturn – Evening sky

Look low above the Eastern horizon to see the Moon and planet Saturn. Saturn will appear like a pale yellow star to the unaided eye. Moon and Saturn chart prepared for Wednesday 24 July 2024 at 9.30 pm AEST for Sydney, NSW (but will be also useful for elsewhere in Eastern Australia). Chart created using the Stellarium astronomy freeware program.

31 July 2024 – Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Aldebaran – Morning twilight sky

Look low above the North Eastern horizon to see the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and the star Aldebaran (the brightest star in the ancient Greek consellation Taurus The Bull). Chart prepared for Wednesday 31 July 2024 at 5.30 am AEST for Sydney, NSW (but will be also useful for elsewhere in Eastern Australia). Chart created using the Stellarium astronomy freeware program.