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BASIL July 2026

The front cover shows an image of Vallis Alpes on the Moon, recently taken by BAS member Chris Lee.

Monthly observing opportunities:

• All month: Noctilucent cloud season
• 9 July: Venus lies close to Regulus (evening)
• 11 July: A Thin waning Moon lies close to the Pleiades at moonrise (01:30 BST (00:30 UT))
• 17 July: A 15%-lit waxing crescent Moon lies near Venus (evening)
• 21 July: The Lunar X and V are visible around sunset
• 27 July: Asteroid Juno reaches opposition.
• Observe the 'Buck Moon' and Crater Gassendi - best observed 3 to 5 days after the New Moon or during late waning phases.
• 25 DSO observing targets are listed for the month.
• Constellation of the month is Hercules.

Members' images this month:

• June's Jupiter-Venus conjunction by Jane Clark, Chris Lee, David Bennett, Andrew Grasemann and Nigel Wakefield.
• Corona Borealis by David Bennett.
• Noctilucent clouds by Richard Mansfield.
• The Moon by Jane Clark.
• Solar image by Andrew Grasemann.

Observing and imaging projects for members in July:

• Asteroid Juno at opposition (p3).
• Crater Gassendi (p9).
• DSOs in Hercules, including the magnificent Globular Clusters M13 and M92 (p16-21).

Society News includes a report on the recent Festival of Nature solar observing outreach event and the sad news of the passing of former BAS member Bob Gilbert.

The BAS programme of meetings for 2026 can be found on p36.