Stargazing Calendar for July 2026
Stargazing in July 2026 brings a wide variety of celestial events for enthusiasts of astronomy, from close planetary pairings to dazzling meteor showers. This guide highlights the month’s best opportunities to explore the night sky.
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List of Meteor Showers in July 2026
- Antihelion Source: Start on December 10; multiple peaks; end September 10.
- June Bootids: Start on June 22; peak on June 27; end on July 2.
- July Pegasids: Start on July 4; peak on July 10; end on July 17.
- July γ-Draconids: Start on July 25; peak on July 28; end on July 31.
- Piscis Austrinids: Start on July 15; peak on July 28; end on August 10.
- Southern δ-Aquariids: Start on July 12; peak on July 30; end on August 23.
- α-Capricornids: Start on July 3; peak on July 30; end on August 15.
- η-Eridanids: Start on July 31; peak on August 8; end on August 19.
- Perseids: Start on July 17; peak on August 12; end on August 24.
We also have a complete list of meteor showers for the entire year of 2026 here.
List of Planetary Conjunctions in July 2026
- Conjunction of Mars and Uranus in Taurus on July 4.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Pisces on July 7.
- Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades in Taurus on July 11.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mars in Taurus on July 11.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Venus in Leo on July 17.
Moon Phases in July 2026
As you know, the Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies and astronomical events in the night sky. So to help you with stargazing, here’s a calendar of the phases of Moon for this month of July 2026:
July 4: Conjunction of Mars and Uranus
Mars and Uranus will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 6’26” of each other.
Around the same time, the two planets will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 6.3 arcminutes from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
Look for the two planets in the constellation of Taurus. Mars will be at apparent magnitude 1.3, while Uranus will be at 5.8. The Moon will be waning gibbous (80%) at 19 days old.
July 6: The Earth at aphelion
During its orbit around the Sun, Earth will reach its aphelion, or furthest point from the Sun, at a distance of 1.0166 AU. This is about a 3% difference between the minimum and maximum distance from the Sun.
July 7: Neptune enters retrograde motion
Neptune will begin retrograde motion, which means it will stop traveling eastward through the constellations and instead turn to travel west. All of the outer planets in the solar system periodically experience this orientation reversal, which occurs a few months before they reach opposition.
Ancient observers were troubled by retrograde motion because it didn’t fit with their belief in uniform circular orbits around the Earth. The phenomenon is actually due to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which shifts our perspective and causes planets to appear to move back and forth in the sky while continuing their overall eastward path through the constellations.
Neptune can be spotted in the constellation of Pisces with an apparent magnitude of 7.9.
July 7: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn
The Moon and Saturn will reach conjunction passing within 6°39′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 5°58′, but no longer sharing the same right ascension.
The Moon will be an 23 days old waning crescent at 42%. Despite this, the Moon will be at apparent magnitude -11.9 and Saturn at magnitude 0.5, both in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing Neptune entering retrograde motion on June 7.)
July 9: Asteroid 18 Melpomene at opposition
Asteroid 18 Melpomene will reach opposition, when it lies opposite to the Sun in the sky. It will reach the highest point in the sky around midnight local time.
On this occasion, Melpomene will pass within 1.204 AU of Earth and reach a peak brightness of magnitude 9.0. Unfortunately even at the peak, this asteroid will be too faint to observe with the naked eye. You will need at least a 4 inch telescope, which you should point to the constellation of Aquila. The Moon will be a waning crescent at 24 days old (27%).
Melpomene was discovered in 1852 by John Russell Hind, who named it after Melpomenē, the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology.
It is a large and bright asteroid located in the main asteroid belt with a mean diameter of about 140 km. It orbits the Sun at 2.296 AU (semi-major axis) which takes 3.48 years to complete. (Source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database Lookup for 18 Melpomene)
July 9: Asteroid 8 Flora at opposition
Asteroid 8 Flora will reach opposition, when it lies opposite to the Sun in the sky, reaching the highest point in the sky around midnight local time, regardless of where in the world you are located. This is because it will be exactly opposite to the Sun.
At around the same time Flora will reach perigee, which means its closest approach to the Earth, at 1.246 AU. At that time it will reach peak brightness of apparent magnitude 8.9 in the constellation of Sagittarius. This is too faint for the naked eye, and you’ll need a telescope. The Moon will be a waning crescent at 24 days old (27%).
Flora is a large asteroid of the main belt with a mean diameter of 146 km. It is also the seventh-brightest asteroid.
July 11: Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades
The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster (M45) will make a close approach or appulse, by passing within 1°06′ of each other. This will happen in the constellation of Taurus. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Mars and Uranus on July 4.)
You can observe this astronomical event with the naked eye because the Moon will be at apparent magnitude -10.8 and M45 at 1.3. The Moon will be 26 days old, meaning it will be a waning crescent at 12% and won’t interfere much with stargazing this middle of July 2026.
July 11: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars
The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 5°19′ of each other.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 5°16′, but no longer sharing the same right ascension.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Taurus. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude of -10.4, while Mars will be at magnitude 1.3. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Mars and Uranus on July 4.) The Moon will be an 26 days old waning crescent at 12%.
July 17: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus
The Moon and Venus will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 2°01′ of each other.
At around the same time the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 1°47′ from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
The Moon will be a 3 days old waxing crescent at 17%. Despite this, the Moon will still be at apparent magnitude of -10.6, while Venus will be at magnitude -4.1 both in the constellation of Leo.
July 26: Saturn enters retrograde motion
Saturn will begin retrograde motion, which means it will stop traveling eastward through the constellations and instead turn to travel west. All of the outer planets in the solar system periodically experience this orientation reversal, which occurs a few months before they reach opposition.
Saturn can be spotted in the constellation of Pisces with an apparent magnitude of 0.4. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing Neptune entering retrograde motion on June 7.) The Moon will be 12 days old waxing gibbous at 94%.
July 27: Asteroid 3 Juno at opposition
Asteroid 3 Juno will reach opposition, when it lies opposite to the Sun in the sky. It will reach the highest point in the sky around midnight local time.
On this occasion, the asteroid Juno will pass within 1.805 AU of Earth and reach a peak brightness of apparent magnitude 9.1. Unfortunately even at the peak, this asteroid will be too faint to observe with the naked eye. You will need at least a 4 inch telescope, which you should point towards the constellation of Aquila. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the asteroid 18 Melpomene at opposition on July 9.) The Moon will be 13 days old waxing gibbous at 95%.
Juno is one of the largest asteroids of the main belt at mean diameter of 246.596 km. It orbits the Sun at a semi-major axis of 2.669 AU. (Source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database Lookup for 3 Juno.)
July 27: Dwarf planet Pluto at opposition
The dwarf planet Pluto (minor planet designation 134340 Pluto) will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time because it will be exactly opposite to the Sun in the sky. (See featured image at the top.)
At about the same time, Pluto will also reach perigee, the closest point to the Earth, at 34.55 AU from Earth. It’s at this time that Pluto will be brightest in the sky. Despite this, you will need a telescope to spot this dwarf planet because it will have an apparent magnitude of only 14.9. Look in the constellation of Capricornus. The Moon will be 13 days old waxing gibbous at 95%.
July 28: July γ-Draconid meteor shower peak
The July Gamma-Draconids are a faint variable rate meteor shower that peaks on July 28. Some meteors may also be spotted between July 25 and 31, enriching your stargazing this late July 2026. They will radiate from the constellation of Draco at the speed of 27 km/s on average. The Moon will be 14 days old waxing gibbous at 99%.
July 28: Piscis Austrinid meteor shower peak
The Piscis Austrinids is a variable rate meteor shower peaking on July 28. Some meteors may also be spotted between July 15 and August 10. They will radiate from the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus at the speed of 35 km/s on average.
July 29: Asteroid 324 Bamberga at opposition
The asteroid 324 Bamberga will be at opposition on July 29. This asteroid of 230 km in diameter is the tenth-brightest main-belt asteroid and can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope. At around midnight local time, look in the highest point in the sky in the constellation of Capricornus. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the dwarf planet Pluto at opposition on July 27.) The Moon will be 15 days old waning gibbous at 99%.
This asteroid will pass within 1.086 AU of the Earth, reaching a peak brightness of magnitude 9.3. It was named after the city of Bamberg in Germany.
July 30: Southern δ-Aquariid meteor shower peak
The Southern Delta Aquariids will peak this July 2026 with a zenithal hourly rate of 25 if stargazing conditions are ideal.
Some meteors may also be spotted between July 12 and August 23. They will radiate from the constellation of Aquarius, near one of the constellation’s brightest stars, Delta Aquarii, at the speed of 41 km/s on average. The Moon will be 16 days old waning gibbous at 98%. The meteors from this shower originate from comet 96P Machholz.
July 30: α-Capricornid meteor shower peak
The Alpha Capricornids will peak with a zenithal hourly rate of 5 if stargazing conditions are good.
Some meteors may also be spotted between July 3 and August 15. They will radiate from the constellation of Capricornus, at the low speed of 23 km/s on average. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the dwarf planet Pluto at opposition on July 27.) The meteors originate from comet 169P/NEAT, which was once thought to be an asteroid named 2002 EX12.
Positions of the Planets in July 2026
- Mercury: The closest planet to the Sun can be seen at dawn and dusk travelling across the constellation of Gemini. This planet, being the closest to the Sun, will appear to move quickly in the night sky and its position will change in the following weeks.
- Venus: The sister planet can be seen travelling across the constellation of Cancer and Leo. Just like Mercury, Venus can only be seen at dawn and dusk.
- Mars: The red planet can be seen in the constellation of Taurus.
- Jupiter: The gas giant is visible in the constellation of Cancer. Jupiter can easily be spotted with the naked eye, even in highly illuminated cities.
- Saturn: The ringed giant can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Pisces.
- Uranus: The ice giant can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with the use of a telescope.
- Neptune: The blue giant requires a telescope pointed in the constellation of Pisces in order to be seen.
Positions of Dwarf Planets and Large Asteroids in July 2026
- Ceres: The asteroid belt’s lone dwarf planet can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with the help of a telescope.
- Vesta: This large asteroid can be seen in the constellation of Cetus with a telescope.
- Pallas: The asteroid can be observed with a telescope in the constellation of Pisces.
- Hygiea: The fourth largest asteroid can be found with a telescope in the constellation of Gemini.
- Pluto: This distant dwarf planet can be found in the constellation of Capricornus with the help of a large telescope.
Major astronomical events next month – August 2026
- August 2: Comet 10P/Tempel at perihelion
- August 3: Comet 10P/Tempel at perigee
- August 8: η-Eridanid meteor shower peak
- August 12: Total solar eclipse
- August 12: Perseid meteor shower peak
- August 17: κ-Cygnid meteor shower peak
- August 28: Partial lunar eclipse
- August 28: Asteroid 9 Metis at opposition
- August 31: Aurigid meteor shower peak
Conclusion
Stargazing this July 2026 promises an exciting month for fans of astronomy, with meteor showers, planetary encounters, and distant worlds reaching opposition. Get outside under dark skies and make the most of these spectacular celestial events.
To ensure you don’t miss out on any celestial happenings, sign up for our newsletter to receive stargazing calendars and more updates. Keep your telescopes ready and clear your calendar for these cosmic highlights!
Sources:
- Planetary ephemerides produced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
- International Meteor Organization
See also:
- Previous month’s calendar: Stargazing Calendar for June 2026
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Paul Tomaszewski
Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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