HOW TO USE THIS MAP: This map portrays
the sky as seen near 30° south latitude.
Located inside the border are the four
directions: north, south, east, and
west. To find stars, hold the map
overhead and orient it so a
direction label matches the
direction you’re facing.
The stars above the
map’s horizon now
match what’s
in the sky.
R
U
S
1 The Moon passes 5° north of
Mars, 2h UT 16 The Moon passes 1.6° north of
Venus, 4h UT
4 The Moon passes 3° south of
Neptune, 0h UT 19 First Quarter Moon occurs at
19h52m UT
6 Last Quarter Moon occurs at
7h51m UT 20 Asteroid Thisbe is at opposition,
9h UT
7 The Moon passes 5° south of
Uranus, 14h UT
9 Venus passes 1.1° north of
Regulus, 20h UT
10 The Moon passes 1.1° north of
Aldebaran, 10h UT
21 The Moon passes 4° north of
Jupiter, 0h UT
25 The Moon passes 2° north of
Saturn, 6h UT
Mercury is stationary, 7h UT
27 Mars is at opposition, 5h UT
11 Jupiter is stationary, 4h UT The Moon is at apogee
(406,223 kilometers from Earth),
5h44m UT
12 Mercury is at greatest eastern
elongation (26°), 5h UT Full Moon occurs at 20h20m UT;
total lunar eclipse
Calendar of events
Earth is at aphelion (152.1 million
kilometers from the Sun), 17h UT
G
JULY 2018
E
Pluto is at opposition, 10h UT
The Moon is at perigee
(357,431 kilometers from Earth),
8h25m UT
31 The Moon passes 3° south of
Neptune, 6h UT
Mars comes closest to Earth
(57.6 million kilometers away),
8h UT
14 The Moon passes 2° north of
Mercury, 22h UT
30 Southern Delta Aquariid meteor
shower peaks
13 New Moon occurs at 2h48m UT;
partial solar eclipse
The Moon passes 7° north of
Mars, 22h UT
STAR COLORS:
Stars’ true colors
depend on surface
temperature. Hot
stars glow blue; slight-
ly cooler ones, white;
intermediate stars (like
the Sun), yellow; followed
by orange and, ulti mately, red.
Fainter stars can’t excite our eyes’
color receptors, and so appear white
without optical aid.
LY
RA
_
ga
Ve
Illustrations by Astronomy: Roen Kelly
BEGINNERS: WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT HOW TO READ A STAR CHART AT www.Astronomy.com/starchart.