Sydney Observatory night sky map

A map for each month of the year, to help you learn about the night sky

July 2011
www.sydneyobservatory.com.au

This star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in the night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth for July 2011 at about 7.30 pm (local standard time). For Darwin and similar locations the chart will still apply, but some stars will be lost off the southern edge while extra stars will be visible to the north. Stars down to a brightness or magnitude limit of 4.5 are shown. To use this chart, rotate it so that the direction you are facing (north, south, east or west) is shown at the bottom. The centre of the chart represents the point directly above your head, called the zenith, and the outer circular edge represents the horizon. URSA MAJOR

Star brightness
Zero or brighter 1st magnitude 2nd 3rd LYRA 4th
NE

Vega

HERCULES

BOOTES CORONA BOREALIS BOOTES CORONA BOREALIS

Arcturus

Arcturus

COMA BERENICES

SAGITTA

SERPENS

LEO

Regulus
Altair VIRGO

NW
OPHIUCHUS LIBRA Zubenelgenubi Zubenelgenubi Spica Saturn CORVUS SERPENS CRATER SEXTANS

AQUILA

SCUTUM

Centre of the Galaxy

SCORPIUS SCORPIUS
SAGITTARIUS LUPUS HYDRA

NORMA TEA POT

CORONA AUSTRALIS NORMA Alpha Centauri

CENTAURUS CENTAURUS Centauri Omega

ANTLIA SOUTHERN CROSS

POINTERSHadar ARA CIRCINUS Alpha Centauri AUSTRALE

CAPRICORNUS TELESCOPIUM

Mimosa CRUX TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE TRIANGULUM

Proxima Centauri APUS
MUSCA

CRUX

PYXIS VELA

MICROSCOPIUM PAVO INDUS

APUS
CHAMAELEON OCTANS South Celestial Pole OCTANS CARINA VOLANS PUPPIS

PISCIS AUSTRINUS

Chart key

MENSA GRUS TUCANA

Adhara

CANIS MAJOR

SMC
HYDRUS

Bright star Faint star Ecliptic Milky Way P Planet LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud PHOENIX SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud

LMC
DORADO

Canopus

SW

RETICULUM Achernar

PICTOR COLUMBA

South HOROLOGIUM

This month the constellations of Scorpius (the Scorpion) and Crux (the Southern Cross) are high in the sky. The Southern Cross is easily located using the two nearby pointer stars. The brighter of the pointers, Alpha Centauri, is the nearest star system to the Sun. Near the end of the Scorpions tail is the unofficial constellation of the Tea Pot. On 5 July, the Earth is at its greatest distance from the Sun, a mere 152,091,221 km. Saturn is visible towards the north-west in the constellation of Virgo while Mercury is visible low in the north-west. The first quarter Moon can easily be seen towards the north on 8 July. Sydney Observatory, with a magnificent view overlooking Sydney Harbour, is open every day (except Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day) between 10am and 5pm. Day visits (excluding programs) are free. Bookings are essential for night programs (times vary check our website). View the sky nightly through one of our telescopes, and see 3D movies about the Universe. For more information, check the website at www.sydneyobservatory.com.au or call (02) 9921 3485. Sydney Observatory is at Watson Road, Observatory Hill, in the historic Rocks area of Sydney. Our self-guided historic/scientific tour of Sydney Observatory and surrounds is now available for $2.49 as an app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch from the iTunes store - http://from.ph/walkingtour.
Sydney Observatory is part of the Powerhouse Museum. The Sydney Observatory night sky map is prepared by Dr M Anderson using the software TheSky. 2011 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney.

West

Antares

Antares

North
CANES VENATICI

Moon phase
New moon: 01st First quarter: 08th Full moon: 15th Last quarter: 23rd New moon: 31st

LEO MINOR

Regulus

Mercury (21st July)

Moon on 8th

East
SE