Dark Sky News

A rare and exceptionally close Mars-Uranus conjunction occurs on the night of July 3, morning of July 4, 2026 (in the predawn hours). The two planets will appear just 0.1° apart in the constellation Taurus (Gemini in astrology) offering a spectacular viewing and photo opportunity! 

This 2026 conjunction falls directly on the 250th anniversary of the United States. Hmm… this also happened in 1776, around the time of the Civil War, World War II, and now… ?… This is one of four close conjunctions between now and 2032, so something’s bound to happen for astrologers to reaffirm their world view 🙂

Did you know… The tropical zodiac divides the ecliptic into twelve equal 30° signs, beginning with 0° Aries at the March equinox. These signs keep the traditional names Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc., but they are not tied to the actual constellations anymore. The reason they differ is mainly precession of the equinoxes. Earth’s rotational axis slowly wobbles over thousands of years, so the equinox point drifts backward relative to the background stars. As a result, tropical signs have shifted by roughly one sign relative to the actual constellations since the zodiac names were originally associated with the star patterns.

See the spotlight description above.

JAXA’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft will perform a high-speed flyby of near-Earth asteroid (98943) Torifune at 5:30am EDT.  The probe will pass within 1 kilometer of the asteroid at a blistering speed of approximately 5 kilometers per second, snapping high-resolution photos and gathering vital data

If you’ve ever wanted to see the Milky Way at its best, this is your chance. For astrophotographers, the week around 14 July is one of the best opportunities of the year to capture the Milky Way’s most spectacular region. 

Don’t miss this sunset!

Named by Indigenous people and early settlers in North America, the Buck Moon marks the time of year when male deer begin growing their new antlers.

The Southern Delta Aquariids reach their peak on the nights of 30 and 31 July, sending dozens of meteors streaking across the sky every hour. Unlike some meteor showers that produce bright fireballs, the Delta Aquariids are known for their graceful, long-lasting trails that seem to glide through the darkness.

This year’s timing is especially favourable. With the Full Buck Moon already waning, moonlight interference will be reduced, giving observers a better chance to spot fainter meteors. Best window: late night to pre-dawn, roughly 11:00 PM EDT on July 30 through 4:00-5:00 AM EDT on July 31.

The shower is strongest when the Moon is new or very faint, so skies will be dark and clean for this peak.