NASA has announced that the first (and color) photographs from the James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched in December 2021, would be made public on July 12 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. According to Space.com, the telescope is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that allows it to study objects from the inner solar system all the way out to ancient, distant galaxies from the early cosmos, only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. On July 12, NASA will hold a live event to show these photographs, with further live sessions throughout the day and week.
In an interview with Space.com, NASA eclipse phrazle scientist Fred Espenak said that this July’s full moon is the third of four consecutive supermoons on Earth. Next month’s spectacular moon display will occur on August 12. Espenak claims that occurrences of many consecutive supermoons are common. He told Space.com, “Every 14 months or so, we get two or more likely three to four” supermoons in a sequence.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac says that if you want to see the nearest supermoon of 2022, you should gaze to the southeast after sunset on July 13. The article goes on to explain that the male deer’s (buck’s) antlers are completely grown by this month, so the full moon in July is called Full Buck Moon.
This month, keep your eyes peeled for the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, which, at its peak, may generate as many as 20 meteors per hour (as reported by SeaSky.org). The climax of the shower occurs in the midst of its duration (mid-July to late August), which this year falls on the night of July 28 into July 29.
Unlike a supermoon, which can be seen from almost everywhere, seeing a meteor shower needs a location with clear, dark skies. This year’s peak of the shower coincides with the new moon, making for even darker sky and a more impressive display of the meteor shower.
From July 3 to August 15, the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower is active, with its peak activity on July 30. Approximately five meteors per hour may be seen at this time, with the peak occurring around 8 a.m. ET, as reported by In-the-Sky.org. Like the Delta Aquarids, this otherworldly display is best seen from a dark location.
