Buresh Blog: Eye on the Gulf of Mexico (tropics!)

July 8, 2019 — For daily updates on the tropics: "Talking the Tropics With Mike".  All eyes on the Gulf of Mexico where slow tropical development will be possible this week.  Primary impacts on the local area - Jacksonville/NE Fl./SE Ga. - looks to be heavy rain with potentially greater impacts to the west.  Next name on the list: "Barry".

July & early Aug. night skies courtesy "Sky and Telescope":

July 9 (all night): Saturn arrives at opposition, meaning it’s opposite the Sun in the sky. It rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. The magnificent ringed planet is upper left of the Teapot in Sagittarius and just below the Teaspoon asterism.
 
July 12–15 (dusk): Waxing gibbous Moon provides eye-catching pairings as it passes from Scorpius into Sagittarius. The first evening it forms a trio with Jupiter and Antares, sliding to the left side of Jupiter on July 13th, and ending up nestled against Saturn on the last evening, less than 2° separating the two.
 
July 16 (day): A partial lunar eclipse is visible over most of the globe; only North America and northeastern Asia will be excluded from viewing any of the phases.
 
July 20 (night): As the waning gibbous Moon rises in the east-southeast, contemplate the moment 50 years ago when humankind first stepped onto our closest celestial neighbor.
 
July 29–30 (all night): The Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks, providing up to 25 shooting stars per hour from very dark locations. This shower lasts several nights, so the peak is not the only time to look. Best in hours before dawn.
 
Aug. 4–5 (dusk): Thin waxing lunar crescent is in Virgo. On the 4th when it’s some 3° right of star Porrima. On the 5th, it’s 7° upper right of Spica.
 
Aug. 9 (dawn): Mercury is farthest west of the Sun. Look for it for the next two weeks low on the east-northeastern horizon. Binoculars will improve the view.
 
Aug. 9 (evening): The waxing gibbous Moon and Jupiter are around 2° apart, with Antares to the pair’s lower right.
 
Moon Phases
New Moon: July 2, 3:16 p.m. EDT (total solar eclipse)
First Quarter: July 9, 6:55 a.m. EDT
Full Moon: July 16, 5:38 p.m. EDT (Buck Moon; partial lunar eclipse)
Last Quarter: July 24, 9:38 p.m. EDT

Cox Media Group