Enerdyne Inc. Suttons Bay
In early July, as Mercury (0.5 to 4.8) sets in Cancer in the western sky slightly before 8PM EDT and Mars (1.5 to 1.6) sets two hours later in Leo, Saturn (1.0 to 0.8), and Neptune (7.9 to 7.8) are rising together in Pisces in the east and can be seen throughout the night. Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation on the 4th when it is 26° from the Sun and the waxing crescent Moon passes Mercury on the 25th but the planet sets two hours earlier and is no longer visible as it approaches inferior conjunction on the 31st when the Southern Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower peaks. Mars is visible through for the entire month and sets after 9:00PM EDT as the waxing crescent Moon passes on the 28th, 4 days after New Moon.
In binoculars, dim Neptune can be found north of bright ringed Saturn before dawn in July and, on the 6th, they will be separated by less than one degree. The waning gibbous Moon passes each on the 16th. Jupiter (-1.7 to -1.8) in Gemini rises about 5:00AM EDT on the 14th, well after the rising of sparkling Venus (-4.0 to -3.9) and much dimmer Uranus (5.8) which are higher in the southeastern sky in Taurus. The waning crescent Moon passes them respectively on the 21st and 20th.
