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I am difficult to follow all the heavenly events of July. This month has already seen a partial solar eclipse and is scheduled for a total lunar eclipse, the Rain Delta Meteor Aquarid, the longest ever Blood Moon, and Mars in opposition. If that is not enough, get out on Sunday night when Venus will have the appearance of colliding with the moon.
Venus illuminated the sky on Monday after aligning itself with Regulus, the blue-white star that appears the brightest in the constellation Leo. On Sunday, the morning star will continue her turn to create photo-dignified moments once she approaches the moon, appearing as close as half a degree to the lunar crescent, or to about the width of a finger at arm's length.
The moon moves about 13 degrees to the east from Earth's sky every 24 hours, which will soon drive it to its closest point with Venus. The morning star will shine at a magnitude of -4.2, making it the brightest object of the sky after the sun and the moon. At only half a degree to each other, the pair should create a bright spot in the sky, starting just 30 minutes after sunset.
With the new moon less than three days old, it will appear as a thin crescent that will intensify the already dramatic skyscape. Although the moon will be lit only 12% on Sunday, its dark region should reflect the light of the Earth, a faint glow caused by the reflection of light on Earth, and will therefore still be somewhat visible. Telescopes and binoculars would be useful for this scene, but celestial pairing will also be visible to the naked eye.
To see the pair at its best, look west around 9:45 pm. local hour. Do not be late, however, since Venus will run around 22:30. At dusk, Regulus will also be visible at the bottom right of the moon and Venus, while Mercury will appear much closer to the horizon. The larger the west of America is in North America, the more Venus and the moon come closer, although the difference appears to be half a degree.
Although it may seem that Venus and the Moon are on an accelerated course, this does not reflect what is happening in orbit. While the moon will be 224,000 miles from Earth at its closest point, Venus is nearly 400 times away. Their meeting could be a relative illusion, but at least the photos will be real.
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