Astronomy News for the Month of July 2025


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An Open Invitation

For amateur radio operators and scanner enthusiasts around the world, please join the Colorado Astronomy Net on the Rocky Mountain Radio League's K1DUN repeater on 449.450 MHz or other digital and analog repeaters, Allstar nodes, Echolinks, DMR and internet links connected to the SKYHUBLINK system. The net meets on Tuesday nights at 7 P.M. Mountain Time (US) (Wednesday at 0200 GMT). Connecting to the SkyHubLink system has expanded our coverage in the U.S., Canada and internationally. All Amateur radio operators worldwide are welcome. Anyone may listen to the net. The RMRL provides a "Live Audio Feed" using Broadcastify.

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Obtain your Amateur Radio (Ham) License or your General Radio Operator's License (GROL)! Visit the South Metro VE Team website for more information. The South Metro VE Team provides test sessions by appointment only. Check the website for current information. All others interested in Amateur Radio, check out the Amateur Radio Relay League website to find out more information about becoming an Amateur Radio operator.

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 Excerpts from JPL mission updates are provided as a public service as part
of the JPL Solar System Ambassador/NASA Outreach program.

For special JPL programs and presentations in your area visit the JPL Solar System Ambassador website.
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Rocket Report for 07/08/2025 through 07/22/2025
Courtesy of "The Rocketman" Ed W6RDZ
Updated Weekly on Tuesday evenings
prior to the Colorado Astronomy Net

In this Newsletter...


Background screen credits: NGC5775
Imaged March 21/22, 2001
using the 16" Kitt Peak Visitors Center telescope
as part of the Kitt Peak Advanced Observing Program.


"Venus (upper left) shines amid the Hyades star cluster in Taurus, with Aldebaran to its lower right. This scene, captured in 2017, will repeat midmonth." Astronomy Magazine, July 2025, p. 28. - Alan Dyer


The Month At-A-Glance
A calendar displaying the daily astronomical events.


18 day moon

The Moon

Phases

Apogee/Perigee

Moon/Planet Pairs

For reference: The Full Moon subtends an angle of ~0.5°.

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Calendar of All Astronomical Events 2025

The Planets & Dwarf Planets

Planetary Reports generated by "TheSkyX" software. These reports provide predicted data for the planets for the first of each month for the current year. The rise and set times for the Sun and the Moon for each day of the month as well as meteor shower radiants are also included in the reports. These reports have been optimized for the Denver, Colorado location, however, the times will be approximate for other locations on Earth.

(Times are Mountain Daylight Time (MDT/MST) unless otherwise noted. Times will vary slightly depending on your location.)

Planetary Highlights for July

"Summer nights offer lots of interesting sights this month. Mercury and Mars are on show in the evening twilight. Both Uranus and Neptune stand near brighter beacons: Neptune and Saturn are two Moon-widths apart all month, while the morning sky hosts Venus and Uranus together in Taurus. Saturn also shows off two Titan shadow transits, visible through small telescopes. Jupiter returns late in the month, as Pluto reaches opposition." Astronomy Magazine, July 2025, p. 28.

Mercury

Is at greatest eastern elongation (26°) on the 4th. Mercury is stationary on the 17th. Mercury is in inferior conjunction on the 31st.Mercury sets at 10:03 p.m. on the 1st and about 7:42 p.m. by month's end. Mercury is visible about 30 minutes after sunset just above the western horizon during the first two weeks of the month. Mercury is in the constellation of Cancer shining at magnitude 0.4 on the 1st.

Venus

Rises about 2:59 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:04 a.m. by month's end. Look for Venus to the east about an hour before sunrise. Venus moves from the constellation of Taurus into Gemini shining at magnitude -4.1 on the 15th.

Earth

Earth is at aphelion (94.5 million miles from the Sun), 4 P.M. EDT on the 3rd.

Mars

Sets at 11:34 p.m. on the 1st and about 10:15 p.m. by month's end. Look for Mars to the southwest in the evening. Mars moves from the constellation of Leo into Virgo shining at magnitude 1.5.

Jupiter

Rises at 5:16 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:46 a.m. by month's end. Look for Jupiter to the east about an hour before sunrise. Jupiter is in the constellation of Gemini shining at magnitude -1.9.

Saturn

Is stationary on the 14th. Saturn rises at 12:33 a.m. on the 1st and about 10:28 p.m. by month's end. Look for Saturn low to the south before sunrise. Saturn is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 0.9.

Uranus

Rises at about 2:59 a.m. on the 1st and about 1:01 a.m. by month's end. Look for Uranus to the southeast before sunrise. Uranus is in the constellation Taurus shining at magnitude 5.8.

Neptune

Is stationary on the 5th. Neptune rises at 12:30 a.m. on the 1st and about 10:24 p.m. by the month's end. Look for Neptune to the south before sunrise leading Saturn by just a couple of minutes all month. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.7.

Dwarf Planets

Ceres

Rises at 1:39 a.m. on the 1st and about 11:51 p.m. by month's end. Ceres can be spotted low to the south before sunrise. Ceres is in the constellation of Cetus shining at magnitude 8.9.

Pluto

Is at opposition on the 25th, rising as the Sun sets. Pluto rises at 10:01 p.m. on the 1st and about 7:57 p.m. by month's end. Pluto can be spotted before sunrise to the south-southwest. Pluto appears at its best for the year later in the month. Pluto is in the constellation of Capricornus shining at magnitude 15.1.

As always, good luck at spotting Neptune, Ceres and Pluto, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed.

Constellation information provided by Go Astronomy.

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Astronomical Events

Meteor Showers

  • The Southern Delta Aquarids - This meteor shower has a duration of July 14 - August 18. Maximum hourly rates of 15-20 occur on July 28/29.

  • The Northern Delta Aquarids extends from July 16 to September 10. Maximum occurs on August 13. The hourly rates reach a high of 10.

    Meteor Shower Radiant Report

    For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's Meteor Showers Online web page.

    Meteor Scatter (or Meteor burst communications) - "is a radio propagation mode that exploits the ionized trails of meteors during atmospheric entry to establish brief communications paths between radio stations up to 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) apart." Tune your shortwave or your HF amateur radio to 54.310 MHz SSB and see if you can hear any pings. Try other frequencies as well... 6m FT8 digital - 50.313 Mhz & 50.276 Mhz, JP-65 digital mode and the carrier frequencies of the lower VHF bands for TV channels 2, 3 & 4.

    Meteor Rx How-To by Terry Bullett (WØASP)

  • Comets

  • There is no significant Comet activity this month.

  • For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit Observable Comets.

    For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's Cometography.com webpage.

  • Eclipses

    Solar Eclipses

  • No solar eclipse activity this month.

    Lunar Eclipses

  • No lunar eclipse activity this month.

  • Observational Opportunities

  • Look for Mercury and Mars in the evening to the west.
  • Look for Pluto to the south.
  • Look for Saturn, Neptune and Ceres in the late evening and early morning to the south-southeast.
  • Look for Uranus, Venus and Jupiter in the morning to the east.

  • Asteroids

    (From west to east)
    • Vesta is in the constellation of Virgo.
    • Pallas is in the constellation of Delphinus.
    • Hebe is in the constellation of Pisces.

    • Information about the Minor Planets can be found at the Minor Planet Observer website.
    Ocultations

    IOTA Logo

  • Information on various occultations can be found by clicking the IOTA logo.

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    Member Meteor Sightings

    In this section I will post meteor, fireball, etc sightings that have been published on the American Meteor Society's web site. I want to make this an active section of the web pages and newsletter and would like to publish the links to member sightings. If you have any published sightings, please provide me with the links and I will post them here for all to enjoy.

    Event ID Date/Time Location Observer Link
    3871-2015 2015-11-13 01:55 MST CO Charles N 3871a
    3587-2015 2015-11-22 17:38 MST CO Kevin S 3587aw
    3829-2015 2015-12-05 18:06 MST CO Burness A 3829a
      986-2020 2020-02-21 22:20 MST CO Lukas S 986
    3716-2020 2020-07-24 23:22 MDT CO Lukas S 3716
    4774-2021 2021-08-13 21:57 MDT UT Lukas S 4774
    7044-2021 2021-10-28 20:37 MDT CO Burness A 249058
    6763-2022 2022-10-06 05:56 CDT OK Mike C 6763
    5300-2023 2023-09-11 22:04 MDT CO Lukas S 5300
    578-2024 2024-01-28 23:05 MST CO Lukas S 578

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