Topline
July 2026 is set to be a bumper month for summer skywatchers, with a brilliant Venus continuing to shine in the west after sunset, a delicate crescent moon near Mars and the Pleiades before dawn, and the full Buck Moon rising later in the month. After a dark-sky window perfect for camping trips to see the Milky Way, mid-July also marks the beginning of meteor season, with the Perseids getting underway before the Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids peak, albeit under bright moonlight. Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing in July 2026.
Timeline
The last-quarter moon rises around midnight on July 7, leaving the evening sky dark and beginning July’s best stargazing window. Fancy a camping trip with stargazing? Here’s your window.
Venus shines close to Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, low in the west after sunset. The two will appear only about a degree apart.
Before dawn, a 13%-lit waning crescent moon appears close to Mars and Aldebaran in Taurus, with the Pleiades star cluster nearby. An early start is required, but it’s arguably July’s prettiest sky sight.
Manhattanhenge occurs at sunset in New York City, with the sun aligning with the city’s street grid. The full-sun alignment occurs on July 11 at 8:20 p.m. EDT, with the half-sun alignment on July 12 at 8:21 p.m. EDT.
A 17%-lit waxing crescent moon shines to the left of Venus in the west after dark. The annual Perseid meteor shower also begins, running until Aug. 24, but peaking on Aug. 12.
July’s full Buck Moon occurs at 10:36 a.m. EDT. The best time to see it will be moonrise that evening, when it appears low in the southeast shortly after sunset.
The Delta Aquariid and Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak overnight, though bright moonlight from the waning Buck Moon will make fainter meteors difficult to see.
July’s Milky Way Window
The most important observing period of July begins after the last-quarter moon on July 7 and continues through the nights around new moon on July 14. With the moon out of the evening sky, this is the month’s best chance to see the Milky Way from a dark rural location. True darkness is limited in July, especially from northern U.S. and Canadian latitudes, but the timing is still useful. Be outside about two hours after sunset, face southeast and allow your eyes 15-20 minutes to adapt. From a dark-sky site, the Milky Way should slowly emerge as a pale, uneven band rising from Sagittarius and Scorpius and climbing into the summer sky.
Meteor Season Begins
Meteor season gets underway in July, though the month’s main meteor peaks face mixed conditions. The Perseid meteor shower begins on July 17 and continues until Aug. 24, but its best night will be Aug. 12-13, when it peaks under a new moon. That makes the 2026 Perseids one of the year’s most promising meteor displays. Before then, the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids peak overnight on July 30-31. The Delta Aquariids can produce around 25 meteors per hour in ideal conditions, while the Alpha Capricornids usually produce only about five per hour but are known for bright fireballs. In 2026, however, the nearly full moon will wash out many fainter meteors, so face away from the moon and be patient — bright fireballs are possible.
What’s Next In The Night Sky
August 2026 will be one of the biggest skywatching months of the year. Mercury reaches greatest elongation west on Aug. 2, making it briefly visible before sunrise. Then, on Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, with a partial solar eclipse visible from parts of North America and Europe. That same night, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak under a perfectly dark, moonless sky. Later in August, a full Sturgeon Moon will rise on Aug. 27 and undergo a partial lunar eclipse, with 96% of the lunar surface turning reddish as it drifts through Earth’s shadow.
