SKY OF THE MONTH, JULY 2023

 Experience the captivating planetary ballet unfolding in the evening sky of July 2023. The month commences with Mars and Venus engaging in a celestial conjunction, perceptible shortly after 9 p.m., albeit they're positioned low on the horizon making them a bit challenging to spot. As the month progresses, these two planets gradually become elusive, setting before 9 p.m. by the end of July.

Juxtaposed to Mars and Venus, Jupiter's visibility will progressively amplify. The gas giant will be on view from midnight until dawn, transitioning from Pisces and gradually nearing Taurus constellation. Notably, on July 11, Jupiter will engage in a conjunction with a slender crescent moon, a sight to behold.

In contrast, Saturn, visible for the majority of the month, remains solitary, devoid of remarkable events except for a noteworthy conjunction with the Moon on July 7, discernible in the southern sky before sunrise.

Adding to the celestial spectacle, July 2023 will host the first Supermoon of the year. Even though "Supermoon" isn't an official scientific term, it implies a full Moon occurring at perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to Earth. This results in the Supermoon appearing minutely larger than a typical full Moon.

As for constellations, July's night sky will be adorned by Lyra, Aquila, and Scorpio. Lyra, identifiable by its luminous star, Vega, is home to the renowned M57 or the Ring Nebula. Conversely, Aquila, distinguished by its brightest star, Altair, sits on the celestial equator and is bisected by the Milky Way. Scorpio, with its radiant star Antares, belongs to the southern hemisphere, but it is observable from northern latitudes during summer.