Summer is generally a slow period for stargazing, for the simple reason that there is less darkness to look at the sky thanks to our longer days and shorter nights. However, July dollars the trend (moon pun totally intended) with a veritable smorgasbord of meteor showers to choose from. Venus, which is never eclipsed, also puts on a spectacle all month long, and there is also a rare chance for owners of sophisticated telescopes to spot its polar opposite, the reclusive former planet Pluto. During the day, those in the tropics can experience the strange and wonderful phenomenon of Lāhainā Noon for the second time this year. My God! Let’s get started.

July 8 and 9: Venus near Regulus

The temperature is rising, the nights are short and pleasant and the Roman goddess of love is truly feeling itself. Venus will be prominent throughout July, moving away from the Sun toward its point of maximum elongation, the point at which the distance between it and the Sun in the sky is greatest. Our cosmic neighbor will reach its maximum elongation in August.

This path makes Venus easy to spot during this month, but the ever-indispensable Farmer’s Almanac suggests the nights of July 8 and 9 as particularly good days to take a look. Venus will be right next to Regulus, the brightest star in the Leo constellation. Look up at the western sky just after sunset and enjoy the spectacle.

July 10: Expected peak of the July Pegasids

The first of this month’s meteor showers is the Pegasids of July. While this is not the most spectacular rainfall, it will be a good year to see it. The moon will be a mere sliver in the sky when the rain peaks, as the full moon is still weeks away. The radiant location of the meteor shower (the point from which the meteors appear to emerge) is in the constellation Pegasus. The “winged horse” constellation rises above the eastern horizon shortly after sunset. However, be patient. since the best viewing conditions will be after midnight.

July 11: Lāhainā noon begins

If you’re in Hawai’i, or elsewhere in the tropics, July 11 will bring the second of two Lāhainā noons in 2026. On certain days in May and July in the tropics, the sun is directly overhead and objects like telephone poles don’t cast any shadows. The exact time and date the sun passes overhead will depend on your location: the Bishop Museum provides a helpful chart of these times and dates for various parts of Hawai’i.

July 27: Pluto in opposition

There are very few good opportunities to catch a glimpse of the distant, elusive little friend known as Pluto. But this month, the Kuiper Belt’s most famous resident will be at full opposition, meaning it’s directly between the Earth and the Sun. This means that, from our point of view, Pluto will be more illuminated than ever, so if there was ever a time to try to catch a glimpse, it’s now.

Bright light or not, you definitely won’t be able to spot Pluto with the naked eye. You will need a decent telescope. Chances are you’ll want at least a 10-inch instrument and, more likely, something on the order of 12 to 16 inches. You will also need to get away from the city:

“Places with the most light pollution simply won’t give you a glimpse of the dim, frozen world, no matter how powerful the instrument,” writes Telescope Watch.

July 28: Expected peak of gamma draconids

While the Pegasids coincide with a crescent moon, there is no such luck for July’s second meteor shower, the Gamma Draconids. This year they collide with a nearly full moon, which will make viewing the meteors a challenge. That’s a shame, because a decade ago the Gamma Draconids produced an unexpected burst of up to 40 meteors per hour, a significant increase from their usual rate of about five meteors per hour. According to Starwalk, this month “the Gamma Draconids will reach the same position they had during the 2016 outbreak.” There is still a good chance they will produce another burst, but we may not be able to see it.

If you’re feeling optimistic, look at the Draco constellation in the northern sky. The moon sets at 5 a.m. local time, providing an hour of relative darkness (and a possible window for meteor viewing) before the sun rises.

July 29: Full Moon

This month’s full moon is called the Buck Moon, a boost for Milwaukee basketball fans mourning the departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the moon takes its name from the fact that “the antlers of male (buck) deer are in full growth right now,” and it also explains that “deer shed and regrow their antlers every year,” which means your antipodean correspondent learned something today.

The Buck Moon reaches maximum illumination at 10:36 a.m. EDT on July 29. Then the moon begins to shed its own metaphorical horns again, waning and (hopefully) ushering in August’s meteor show.

July 30: predicted peak of the Delta Aquarids

But before that… wait, further meteorites? If there is any meteor shower that can be described as underrated, it is the Delta Aquarids. “Sky watchers at high northern latitudes tend to discount [the Delta Aquarids]but the shower can be excellent from latitudes like the southern US,” writes Earth Sky. “Unfortunately, like the Gamma Draconids, the full moon will make viewing these meteors difficult, but not impossible.

Furthermore, although July 30 is the expected peak, the Delta Aquarids are a rain of relatively long duration. It begins in mid-July and continues until August, where it mixes with the Perseids. You may be better off trying to see them at the beginning (or end) of this period, when the moon is less of an issue. You can try looking after midnight the week before the expected peak as a way to avoid the moonlight.

Whatever time you choose, look for meteors in the southern sky, just above the star Fomalhaut, which lies directly below the four stars that form a square in the constellation Pegasus.

Remember that you will get the best experience viewing the cosmos if you move away from any sources of light pollution, give your eyes some time to adjust to the darkness, and Check out our stargazing tips before heading out into the night.

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