WHAT’S UP?

MONDAY, JULY 9: Brilliant Venus will have company low in the west this evening as our closest planetary neighbour approaches to within two moon widths of Regulus in Leo. This spring constellation is nearing the conclusion of its 2018 performance and will soon sink into the Sun’s glare, only to reappear in the early morning sky later this year.

TUESDAY, JULY 10: If you have been noticing Jupiter’s westward movement among the stars, tonight it will pause and after this it will creep eastward instead. The previous retrograde motion was due to Earth’s more rapid orbital movement as it passed between Jupiter and the Sun. Nearby tonight will be the bright star alpha Librae, better known as Zubenelgenubi.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11: Tonight will be as good as it gets for Mercury’s eastern elongation from the Sun, as the inner planet approaches its inward pass between the Earth and the Sun. The swiftly moving planet will soon advance into the Sun’s glare, popping out from the other side to begin its morning appearances in late August. Look for it low near the western horizon after sunset.

SATURDAY, JULY 14: For the next two nights the thin crescent Moon will act as a fingerpost to the inner planets. Tonight it will be about the width of one finger above Mercury, low in the western sky after sunset.

SUNDAY, JULY 15: This evening the Moon will have a dramatic tryst with brilliant Venus. This is a combination that can be enjoyed with the naked eye, but due to the proximity of the two objects it will be a comfortable fit in binoculars and telescopes as well. Keep an eye out for Regulus in Leo which will be several finger widths further west. This is a free schedule of upcoming celestial events compiled by the Okanagan Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.