July 4-10 Sky Watch: Earth Reaches Max Distance From Sun, Mars Meets Regulus and Mercury Makes Rare Appearance
The real summer hero? That sassy 23.5-degree tilt our planet maintains. While we're distance-wise playing hard-to-get with the sun, the Northern Hemisphere is actually flirting shamelessly — tilted toward those solar rays, soaking up direct sunlight for longer days. So next time someone complains about the heat, you can smile knowingly and drop this little astronomical truth bomb.
Now, on to the week ahead…
Half shadowed, half illuminated — our moon at its most dramatically two-faced. This phase offers the perfect balance of brightness and shadow, making the lunar landscape pop in remarkable 3D detail along the terminator line (that's the wonderfully astro-geek term for where light meets dark on the lunar surface).
When to Watch: Early evening until midnight
Pro Tip: This is actually the best time to observe the moon with binoculars or a small telescope — the full moon might seem more impressive, but it's actually too bright and flat for good detail. The shadows along crater rims during first quarter are simply chef's kiss.
The red planet moves exceptionally close to Leo's brightest star, creating a striking color contrast between Mars' reddish hue and Regulus' blue-white brilliance.
When to Watch: Western sky after sunset
Pro Tip: Easily visible to the naked eye; no equipment needed.
Mercury is basically the celestial equivalent of that friend who always cancels plans — elusive and hard to pin down. But this week offers a rare opportunity as it reaches greatest western elongation (its maximum apparent distance from the sun). It's still a challenge, but if you've never spotted Mercury before, this is your moment.
When to Watch: 45 minutes before sunrise, eastern horizon
Pro Tip: Requires clear eastern horizon; binoculars helpful but not necessary.
The waxing gibbous moon photobombs Mars on July 8, creating one of the week's most photographable moments. The contrast between the bright moon and the subtler red planet creates a composition that practically begs to be shared on your social media of choice.
When to Watch: Early evening, western sky
Pro Tip: This is a perfect smartphone photography opportunity. Use night mode and tap to focus on the moon.
Saturn: Visible after midnight in Aquarius with well-tilted rings for telescope viewing
When to Watch: After midnight until dawn, southern sky
Venus: Continues as brilliant morning star in the eastern pre-dawn sky
When to Watch: 1-2 hours before sunrise
Milky Way Core: Rising in the southeast, best seen from dark-sky locations
When to Watch: Late evening until dawn
Pro Tip: Light pollution significantly reduces visibility; worth traveling to darker skies.
Hercules Cluster (M13): Globular cluster high overhead
Ring Nebula (M57): Planetary nebula in Lyra, visible with telescopes
Beehive Cluster (M44): Open star cluster in Cancer, excellent for binoculars
Weather Words: 'Aphelion'
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Fox News
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Transportation Secretary Duffy to announce nuclear reactor development plan for the moon
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will reportedly announce plans this week to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, according to media reports. NASA has had discussions about the building of a reactor on the lunar surface, but Duffy's directive gives a more definitive timeline and expedites the process. Duffy also serves as the interim administrator of the space agency. "Fission surface power (FSP) is both an essential and sustainable segment of the lunar and Mars power architectures for future human space exploration missions," the directive states. "To properly advance this critical technology to be able to support a future lunar economy, high power energy generation on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is imperative the agency move quickly." China and Russia have announced on several occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the moon by the mid-2030s, NASA said. If successful, that would potentially result in the declaration of a "keep-out zone," which could inhibit the United States from establishing a presence there. The move means that NASA will continue to have input in nuclear development, despite the Pentagon's recent cancellation of a joint program on nuclear-powered rocket engines. Duffy also issued another directive to quickly replace the International Space Station, a priority for NASA. Trump announced Duffy to serve as interim administrator of NASA in July as withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman in May. Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut and longtime associate of Elon Musk, was nominated by Trump in December 2024 but faced mounting scrutiny over ties to Musk and SpaceX, which some officials viewed as a conflict of interest. NASA has increasingly factored into the Trump administration's national defense, innovation, and economic agenda.
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NASA's acting administrator Sean Duffy plans to accelerate the construction of a nuclear reactor that could be used on the moon and alter the way NASA will partner with industry to replace the aging International Space Station. The plans, outlined in directives distributed inside NASA and seen by Bloomberg on Monday, mark the first major policy changes by Duffy after US President Donald Trump appointed him to the role as acting head of the space agency.
