 
Venus and Jupiter
After the moon, Venus and Jupiter are the two brightest objects in the night sky. To find Venus, look for the only bright object very low in the west-northwest as soon as it gets dark — binoculars make it easier. If you’re having trouble, the moon may help on July 8, when its thin crescent is just above Venus. Jupiter is higher in the sky and remains visible for at least an hour longer. Look for the brightest object in the west-southwest. On July 13, the moon and Jupiter are close enough that you can see both together in binoculars.
The Big Dipper
Visible all night, every night. In July, it’s in the northwest, with the bowl at the bottom and the handle curving toward the west. While everyone knows its shape, it may be hard to spot if you’re not sure of its size. As you look up, hold your hand at arm’s length and spread your thumb and pinky far apart — that’s about how large the Dipper appears from top to bottom.
Arcturus and Spica
The handle of the Big Dipper can help you find these two prominent stars.
Trace its curve and it will direct you to big, bright Arcturus in the western sky. Continue the arc downward to find Spica, much lower toward the southwest.
The Summer Triangle
The Summer Triangle includes three of the brightest stars in the sky: Vega, Deneb and Altair. To find it, face east and look straight up. The brightest star almost directly overhead is Vega, the topmost point of the triangle. Lower and to the left is Deneb; still lower and to the right is Altair.
These stars are much brighter than those around them. The distance between Vega and Deneb is about the same as the Big Dipper’s length. Use your extended pinky and thumb at arm’s length to estimate.
The Milky Way
In August 2003, when a massive blackout plunged 50 million North Americans into darkness, many city dwellers saw something they had never seen before: the Milky Way. If it’s dark and clear enough, you won’t need instructions to find the Milky Way — it will stretch marvellously across the sky high in the east. If you need a reference, it passes right through the Summer Triangle.
The Moon and Antares
No target is easier than the moon. Early evenings from July 11 to 18 are ideal for lunar viewing. Mid-July is also a good time to look for Antares, a beautiful red star almost due south just after sunset. Its name means “rival of Mars,” since the star’s colour resembles the Red Planet. Antares is one of the largest stars you can see from Earth — at least 300 times the diameter of the sun.
Did You Know?
• Deneb is an incredible 1,600 light years away — the light you see left the star during the decline of the Roman Empire. We can see it from this distance only because it burns 60,000 times brighter than the sun.
• You can find the Milky Way by using binoculars to sweep back and forth in the region between Deneb and Altair. Look for an uncountable number of tiny, unnamed stars.
• Moon craters and other lunar features appear best when the moon is a crescent. Look along the border between the light and dark regions.
• Arcturus and Spica are different colours. Arcturus is an orangey red, meaning it’s cool, while Spica is bluish, indicating it’s extremely hot.
• With good binoculars, you can see two to four of Jupiter’s large moons very close to the planet.
• The second star in the Big Dipper’s handle is actually two stars very close together.
• If you trace a line through the bottom two stars in the Dipper’s bowl and follow this line to the right, it will point to Polaris, the North Star — the brightest star in the Little Dipper.
Skip the Scope
One of the biggest mistakes would-be stargazers make is wasting money on a telescope. Cheap ones can be useless — all they do is rob you of your enthusiasm. Binoculars are more than enough for casual stargazing, especially with children. And if you don’t have a pair, just bring your eyeballs.
Originally published in Today's Parent, July 2005
All content was accurate at the time of publication. |