Name: Last Quarter Moon
Start: 2026-07-07
End: 2026-07-07

Look Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

July 6:

Venus reaches Superior Conjunction, when Venus, the Sun, and Earth align, with the Sun sitting directly between Earth and Venus: 10:00 AM
Earth reaches Aphelion, its farthest distance from the Sun) at 1.016644 AU (152.1M km): 11:00AM

July 7:

🌗 The last-quarter Strawberry Moon reaches Descending Node, when it moves from north to south of the Earth’s plane in its orbit around the sun: 5:22AM
🪐 Neptune enters retrograde motion: the ice giant haults its usual eastward movement through the constellations, and turning to move westwards instead. This reversal of direction is a phenomenon that all the solar system’s outer planets periodically undergo, a few months before they reach opposition.
🌗 Third-quarter Strawberry Moon: 1:29 PM

July 8:

👀 Look for the waning crescent Strawberry Moon next to Saturn (7th & 8th): look for the barely crescent moon next to the ringed gas giant in the constellation Pisces in the eastern sky around 1:15 AM.

July 9:

👀 Look for Venus next to Regulus, the bright alpha star in the constellation Leo in the western sky around 10:00PM
🖥️ Standley Lake Stargazing: Weekly Livestream: Free Online program via Zoom: 6:00PM

July 10 (Dark Sky Weekend):

Denver Astronomical Society at the Chamberlin Observatory

🎤 DAS New Member Orientation: Free, members’ only, in-person event at the historic 📍Chamberlin Observatory (registration required): 7:00 PM
🔭 Rocky Mountain National Park Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍RMNP Park & Ride parking area: 8:30 PM
🔭 Colorado Springs Astronomical Society Florissant Fossil Beds Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument: 9:00 PM
🔭 Standley Lake Stargazing Star Party in the Canyon: Free, in-person event at 📍Eldorado Canyon State Park: 8:00 PM
🔭 Sommers-Bausch Observatory Open House: Free, in-person event at 📍Sommers-Bausch Observatory: 9:00PM

July 11 (Dark Sky Weekend):

Nature Presentation: Stargazing & Dark Sky Experience

🎤 Nature Presentation: Stargazing & Dark Sky Experience with Richard OBrien, Michael Rhymer, and Dr. David McCarty: Free, in-person event at the 📍Dillon Amphitheater: 8:30 PM
🔭 Colorado Springs Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍Eleven Mile State Park: 9:00PM
👀 Check out the waning crescent Strawberry Moon near the Pleiades and Mars, find the sliver of moon next to the bright open cluster and our red planet in the constellation Taurus

July 12 (Dark Sky Weekend):

Mercury - Photo by NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington — Mercury – Photo by NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

🪐 Mercury reaches inferior conjunction with the Sun: The innermost and most elusive planet passes between the Earth and Sun into the morning sky at 7:00PM

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

The Sun rises about 5:47 AM at the start of the week and about 5:52 AM by Sunday, while sunset shifts from 8:24 PM to 8:21 PM. Days continue to shorten gradually, though Denver still enjoys more than 14½ hours of daylight.
The Moon rises in the evening at the start of the week and shifts into the late evening and overnight hours by the weekend, while moonset moves from the late morning into the afternoon.
Venus remains the brightest object in the evening sky after the Moon, shining low in the west after sunset and setting around midnight throughout the week.
Mercury sinks lower into the evening twilight and becomes increasingly difficult to observe as it heads toward inferior conjunction on the 12th.
Jupiter is now lost in the Sun’s glare and is not observable.
Saturn rises before midnight and continues to improve as a morning object, standing higher in the southeastern sky before dawn. Mars remains low in the eastern dawn twilight, making it a difficult target for all but experienced observers with a clear horizon.
Uranus rises before dawn and is becoming easier to locate with binoculars or a telescope under dark skies.
Neptune rises during the late evening and is well placed for telescopic observing during the predawn hours, reaching a good altitude before morning twilight begins.

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.

Anthelion (ANT): 1:00 AM in central Virgo: About 2 per hour.
July Pegasids (JPE): Before dawn in Pegasus: Less than 1 per hour. A weak shower producing medium-speed meteors.
July ε-Pegasids (JEP): Before dawn in Pegasus: Less than 1 per hour.
ρ-Cygnids (RCY): Before dawn in Cygnus near Sadr: Less than 1 per hour. Occasionally produces bright meteors.
α-Capricornids (CAP): After midnight in Capricornus: Less than 1 per hour. Although rates are low this week, this shower is known for producing bright, slow fireballs as it builds toward its late July peak.
Southern δ-Aquariids (SDA): After midnight in Aquarius: Less than 1 per hour. Activity is gradually increasing ahead of its July 29–30 maximum.
β-Taurids (BTA): Before dawn low in Taurus: Less than 1 per hour visually from Denver. Primarily a daytime shower, though an occasional Earthgrazer is possible before sunrise.