Star Walk

Are you ready for the sky event of the year? 🌌 In just one month, around August 12, 2026, six planets will line up across the morning sky: Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune 🪐 Look before sunrise to catch the planet parade — and don’t stop there. The same date also brings a total solar eclipse 🌑 and the Perseid meteor shower peak 🌠 Planets before dawn, meteors at night, and an eclipse in between… August 12 is going to be unforgettable ✨ Will you try to catch all three? 👀 #PlanetParade #PlanetaryAlignment #NightSky #Astronomy #StarWalk

Mars meets its fiery twin 🔴✨⁠ ⁠ On July 13–14, Mars will appear near Aldebaran, the bright orange-red star in Taurus. At their closest, they will be about 5° apart — roughly 10 Full Moon widths.⁠ ⁠ Look low in the eastern sky before sunrise on July 13. Mars will shine with a steady light, while Aldebaran will look slightly brighter and may twinkle.⁠ ⁠ Bring binoculars for an even better view: the V-shaped Hyades, the Pleiades, and faint Uranus will all be nearby. On July 11–12, a thin crescent Moon will also join the scene. 🌙⁠ ⁠ Can you tell which red “star” is actually Mars?⁠ ⁠ Use the Sky Tonight app to find the best viewing time for your location.⁠ ⁠ #Mars #Aldebaran #Taurus #NightSky #StarWalk

☄️ Comet 10P/Tempel 2 is getting brighter! You can already photograph it and observe it through large telescopes. Its peak brightness is expected on August 2–3, when it may reach magnitude 8–10 — bright enough for binoculars and small telescopes, but not for the naked eye. 🔭 The comet is visible from both hemispheres, though observers in the Southern Hemisphere will see it much higher above the horizon. 📅 Best dates to watch: 🌑 July 10–16 — the darkest skies around the New Moon. A great time to catch the comet as it brightens, especially from the Northern Hemisphere, where it will later sink lower toward the horizon. ✨ July 26–29 — Tempel 2 will pass near the M30 star cluster. It should look amazing in photos and through a telescope, though the bright, nearly full Moon may interfere. ☀️ August 2 — perihelion, when the comet reaches its closest point to the Sun and is expected to be most active. 🌍 August 3 — closest approach to Earth and the expected peak in brightness. 🌑 August 11–15 — another dark-sky window around the New Moon. A good chance to spot the comet as it slowly begins to fade, especially for the Southern Hemisphere observers. So, who’s going comet hunting? 👀 Has anyone already tried to observe or photograph Tempel 2? Share your results in the comments! 📸

Mars may be the Red Planet… but its sunsets glow blue 💙🌅 On Earth, sunsets look red and orange because our atmosphere scatters blue light. On Mars, the dusty atmosphere behaves differently: during sunset, red light is scattered out across the sky, while blue light is scattered forward more strongly near the Sun. So the sky farther from the Sun can look reddish, but the area right around the setting Sun can glow blue. So Mars flips the sunset colors we’re used to: 🔴 daytime sky = usually butterscotch or reddish 💙 sunset = blue halo or blue glow Rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance have actually photographed these blue Martian sunsets, so this isn’t just a theory — it’s something we’ve seen with cameras on the planet itself. Would you like to watch a blue sunset on Mars? 🚀

See the Moon, Pleiades, and Mars shine together ✨🌙🔴 On July 10–11, the waning crescent Moon will pass close to the Pleiades, with just 1°03' between them at closest approach. In some parts of Asia, the Moon will even briefly cover the cluster, hiding some of its stars from view. Then, before dawn on July 11, the Moon moves on to Mars. Look in Taurus to spot the crescent Moon and the Red Planet together, with Uranus, Aldebaran, and the Pleiades nearby too. Want to know whether this event will be visible from your location? Read our full Pleiades guide: ✨ starwalk.space/news/m45-pleia…

Same Moon, Different View 🌙 Did you know that the Moon can look different depending on where you are on Earth? 🌍 The Moon stays the same — but observers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres see it from opposite sides of our planet. That’s why the Moon’s orientation can appear flipped: what looks like the “top” from one hemisphere may look like the “bottom” from the other. Have you ever seen the Moon from another hemisphere? ✈️🌕 And what do you think the Moon looks like near the equator? 🤔 #Moon #NightSky #Astronomy #MoonPhase #StarWalk

🌌 Forget everything you know about constellation names. Imagine you're the first person ever to look up at the night sky. ✨ No myths. No ancient legends. Just stars. ⭐ Would you still call them Leo, Libra, or Capricorn? Or would you see a Robo Dog 🤖🐶, a Flying Teapot 🫖, or something completely different? 😄 👇 Give your favorite constellation a brand-new name and share it in the comments! 💙 We can't wait to see what your imagination comes up with. Who knows? Your idea might even inspire one of our future posts! 🌠

What’s a Meteorite?🪨☄️ A meteorite is a piece of space rock that survives its fiery journey through the atmosphere and lands on Earth. Most meteorites weigh just a few grams, but some are massive — like the Hoba meteorite, estimated to weigh around 60 tons! 🌍 Have you ever spotted a meteorite or wondered what they look like? Let us know! #Meteorite #SpaceRocks #Space #AstronomyFacts #StarWalk DM for credit/removal

July is prime time for deep-sky photography 🌌 Follow the Milky Way from Scorpius and Sagittarius to Cygnus and discover some of July’s best targets: the Dumbbell Nebula, Cat’s Eye Nebula, Veil Nebula, Butterfly Cluster, and many more. For the darkest skies, aim for the New Moon on July 14 and avoid the bright Full Moon on July 29. Find more deep-sky objects in July and learn to observe and photograph them: 🌌 starwalk.space/news/deep-sky-…

Uranus is finally getting the attention it deserves 🔵😄 Scientists want to send a mission called Uranus Orbiter and Probe — a spacecraft that would travel all the way to Uranus, drop a probe into its atmosphere, and then stay behind in orbit to study the planet, its rings, moons, magnetic field, and what’s going on deep inside. Why Uranus? Because we’ve barely seen it up close. The only spacecraft to visit it was Voyager 2 in 1986, and that was just a quick flyby. Since then, Uranus has remained one of the Solar System’s biggest mysteries. And it’s a weird one: 💙 it spins almost on its side 🧊 it’s one of the coldest planets in the Solar System 💎 diamonds rain down on Uranus’ core 🌀 and its magnetic field is exceptionally chaotic, tilted, and lopsided This mission could help scientists understand not only Uranus itself, but also a whole class of planets called ice giants — which may be common around other stars, too. So yes, NASA really does want to go much deeper into Uranus. Would you want to see a mission like this finally launch? 🚀

Look up before sunrise on July 4 🌅 Mars and Uranus will appear close together in the morning sky. 🤏 The gap between them will be about one-fifth of the Moon’s apparent diameter — close enough for both planets to fit in the same field of view through binoculars or a low-power telescope. 🔭 And that will come in handy: without optical aid, you’ll most likely see only the brighter, reddish Mars. Use it as a guide to find much fainter Uranus nearby. ✨ Bonus: the pair will sit roughly halfway between two gorgeous star clusters — the Pleiades and the Hyades. Under dark skies, both clusters can be seen with the naked eye, but binoculars will give you a much better view. The whole scene should look great in photos, too! #mars #uranus #astronomy #pleiades #starwalk

Top sky events in July 2026 🌌 July 5 — Mars & Uranus between the Pleiades and Hyades Look before dawn and bring binoculars: Mars will be easy to spot, but Uranus is much fainter. A great scene for long-exposure photos. 🔭 July 9 — Venus near Regulus Check the western sky after sunset. Venus will shine brightly next to Regulus, the brightest star in Leo — easy to see with the naked eye. ✨ July 11 — Moon near Mars and the Pleiades Wake up early for this one! A thin crescent Moon, Mars, and the Pleiades will create a beautiful morning-sky view. Perfect for photos. 🌙 July 22 — Mars, Aldebaran & Elnath in a line Look before sunrise: Mars will line up with two bright stars in Taurus. No telescope needed — the pattern is wide and best seen with the naked eye. 👀 July 22 — Venus between Regulus and Denebola In the evening, Venus will form a wide triangle with Leo’s bright stars. Find a clear western horizon after sunset. 💫 July 29 — Full Buck Moon The Full Moon will rise around sunset and shine all night in Capricornus. It’s bright, so enjoy it with your eyes or photograph it near the horizon. 🌕 July 30–31 — Double meteor shower The Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids peak together. For the best chance, go somewhere dark and try to block the bright Moon from view. ☄️ Save this guide and plan your July stargazing! 🌠

✨ Planets to see in July 2026 From July 1 to 15, Venus is the easiest evening planet to spot, shining after sunset in both hemispheres. Jupiter is also nearby, but it stays very low — catch it early in July if you can. Before sunrise, Saturn is the best morning planet, while Mars, Uranus, and Neptune also appear in the morning sky. For Uranus and Neptune, bring binoculars or a telescope. 🔭 Check the images for the best viewing times in your hemisphere!

Can you spot the Scorpion in the July sky? 🦂 This month is a great time to look for Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Hercules, Draco — plus Triangulum Australe ✨ See what to find in July: starwalk.space/news/july-cons…

July 2026 is packed with celestial highlights ✨ Save this sky calendar so you don’t miss the best astronomical events of the month: 🌌 July 4 — Mars and Uranus between the Pleiades and Hyades 🌗 July 7 — Last Quarter Moon near Saturn 💫 July 9 — Venus near Regulus; July Pegasids peak (3 meteors per hour) 🌙 July 10–11 — Moon near the Pleiades and Mars (one of the best events of 2026!) 🔴 July 13 — Mars near Aldebaran 🌙 July 17 — Moon near Venus and Regulus 🌓 July 21 — First Quarter Moon near Spica ✨ July 22 — Mars forming a line with Aldebaran and Elnath; Venus is equidistant from Regulus and Denebola 🌙 July 24 — Moon near Antares ✨July 28 — July Gamma Draconids peak (5 meteors per hour) 🌕 July 29 — Full Moon; Piscis Austrinids peak (5 meteors per hour) ☄️ July 30–31 — Double meteor shower: Southern Delta Aquariids (25 meteors per hour) and Alpha Capricornids (5 meteors per hour) Which event are you most excited to see this month? 👇

Welcome to Retrograde July. 🌌✨ Should you cancel your plans, double-check every message 📩, and prepare for chaos? 😱 We'll leave that to astrology. 😉🔮 What we can say for sure: July features three retrograde planets 🌍 ☿ Mercury: June 29 – July 23, 2026 🔵 Neptune: July 7 – December 13, 2026 🪐 Saturn: July 27 – December 11, 2026 For astronomers 🔭, retrograde motion isn't a bad omen—it's a perspective effect caused by planets orbiting the Sun. ☀️ Which retrograde are you most excited to follow? 👇 #RetrogradeMotion #MercuryRetrograde #Retrograde #Astronomy #StarWalk

June 30 is Asteroid Day ☄️ It’s not just a day about space rocks — it’s a reminder of why we need to keep watching the sky. Asteroid Day marks the Tunguska event of 1908, the most harmful asteroid-related event in recent history. The blast flattened forests across 2,000 sq. km and was heard 800 km away. And in 2013, a much smaller asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring about 1,500 people. The good news? The earlier we detect dangerous asteroids, the better our chances to protect Earth. Look up. Learn more. Stay aware. 🌍 #AsteroidDay #Asteroids #SpaceFacts #Astronomy #StarWalk

Mercury goes retrograde on June 29 ☿✨ It’s not really moving backward through space — retrograde motion is just an optical illusion caused by the changing positions of Earth and Mercury as they orbit the Sun. So before you blame Mercury for your unread emails and missed alarms, check out the real science in this colorful infographic: 🌀 starwalk.space/infographics/r…

Olympus Mons is the largest volcano and the tallest mountain in the Solar System Rising about 21 kilometers above the Martian plains, it is nearly 2.5 times taller than Mount Everest. Thanks to Mars' lower gravity and the absence of moving tectonic plates, this giant volcano was able to grow to an incredible size over millions of years. A true wonder of our neighboring planet! 🚀🔴 By the way, does anyone here own a telescope powerful enough to observe Mars? Have you ever managed to spot Olympus Mons or other surface features on the Red Planet? 🔭✨ #Mars #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #StarWalk

The Strawberry Moon is here 🍓🌕 On June 29, the Full Moon will rise low in the sky. Despite the name, it won’t actually be pink! But it may look golden, orange, or even reddish near the horizon. Learn more: starwalk.space/news/full-moon…