This week’s sky highlights include Venus shining near the crescent Moon on July 17, with Scorpius dominating the southern horizon in the evenings, featuring Antares and the Cat’s Eyes (Shaula and Lesath). The Moon progresses from first quarter on July 20 toward Antares by July 24, while Arcturus slowly descends in the west and Cassiopeia rises in the north. Planetary views show Mercury emerging in the dawn sky, Mars near Taurus’s stars, Saturn rising near midnight with its rings widening, and Jupiter hidden in the Sun’s glare. Observers can enjoy deep-sky clusters M6 and M7 and the Summer Triangle overhead. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-july-17-26/

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world’s largest of its kind, is set to open on December 2, 2026, over California’s U.S. 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon. This $92 million, 210-foot-long vegetated overpass will span 10 lanes, providing a safe route for wildlife such as mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes. Construction, which began on Earth Day 2022, faced delays due to heavy rain and flooding. Designed with exclusionary fencing, landscaping, and natural cues, the crossing aims to connect vital habitats, reduce dangerous animal-vehicle collisions, and support species survival in the region. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/worlds-largest-wildlife-crossing-on-californias-101-freeway-nears-finish-line/1885955

The week starts with Sunday, featuring morning sun and afternoon clouds, reaching 90°F with light SSW winds. Nights remain mild, around 59–62°F, with light to moderate S winds. Monday brings early cloudiness, clearing in the afternoon, with a high of 88°F. Sunshine dominates from Tuesday through Saturday, with occasional cloudy intervals or partly cloudy skies, and highs ranging from 93°F to 96°F. Nights stay mostly clear. Winds are generally from the S or SSW at 5–15 mph. Overall, the forecast trends toward warm, dry, and mostly sunny conditions, with slight day-to-day variations in cloud cover and wind speed. https://www.kcra.com/weather

The week ahead features hot temperatures and a mix of sun and clouds. Sunday will be mainly cloudy with a high of 95°F, followed by a partly to mostly cloudy night with a low of 64°F. Monday brings a mix of sun and clouds, with a high near 96°F, followed by a clear to partly cloudy night near 66°F. Tuesday through Saturday will be mostly sunny to mainly sunny, with highs around 98–100°F and lows ranging from 59–67°F. Winds will generally come from the south to southwest at 5–15 mph. Nights trend clearer mid-week, keeping conditions dry and warm throughout the period. https://www.kcra.com/weather

This week’s sky, July 10–19, offers a variety of celestial highlights. Early mornings feature the waning crescent Moon aligning with Mars, Aldebaran, and later Beta Tauri. Evenings showcase the Big Dipper turning, Cassiopeia rising, and opportunities to spot noctilucent clouds. Antares and Scorpius dominate the southern sky, with its tail and the Cat’s Eyes stars leading to clusters M7 and M6. Venus shines as the brilliant Evening Star near Regulus before descending weekly, while Mars glows in dawn skies, and Saturn becomes a prime telescopic target around midnight. Uranus and Neptune remain faint, distant objects requiring charts for identification. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-july-10-19/

July offers several must-see astronomy events. Manhattanhenge returns to New York City on July 11-12, when the setting sun aligns with the streets for a striking photo opportunity. Around the new moon on July 14, dark skies provide the best chance to view the Milky Way, though escaping light pollution is essential. The full Buck Moon rises on July 29, named for deer growing antlers, and is also called the Thunder Moon. Finally, the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers peak on July 30-31, producing up to 30 meteors per hour, though moonlight will reduce visibility. https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/a-viral-sunset-the-milky-way-and-dueling-meteor-showers-are-coming-in-july/1906770

June’s Strawberry Moon, the first full moon of summer, will rise Monday evening and is also one of the year’s smallest full moons, known as a micromoon. This occurs because the moon is near its farthest point from Earth, about 251,926 miles away. Named for the North American strawberry harvest, it is also called the Green Corn, Blooming, or Birth Moon. While it won’t appear deep red, it may show a soft orange or reddish hue when rising due to atmospheric scattering. This is the second micromoon of 2026, with the next not expected until the summer of 2027. https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/strawberry-moon-how-to-see-the-1st-full-moon-of-summer/1905563

The upcoming week will feature mostly sunny and clear conditions, with daytime highs ranging from 89°F to 94°F and nighttime lows between 55°F and 58°F. Winds will generally come from the south to southwest at 10 to 15 mph, occasionally easing to 5 to 10 mph midweek. Each day will see abundant sunshine, and nights will remain mostly clear with only a few intermittent clouds early in the week. This consistent pattern of warm days and mild nights will persist through Saturday, providing a stretch of pleasant, dry weather ideal for outdoor activities. https://www.kcra.com/weather

This week, July 3–12, the night sky offers brilliant views of Venus and its conjunction with Regulus, with Mars appearing in the early dawn near Aldebaran and the Pleiades, and a rare close pairing with Uranus on July 4. Globular clusters M13 and M92 in Hercules are prime evening targets, while M4 near Antares showcases a looser structure. The Summer Triangle dominates the eastern sky, and the Milky Way arches brightly for those in dark locations. Saturn rises late at night with its rings tilted 9°, and the Moon transitions from last quarter to a waning crescent, creating striking early-morning alignments with Mars and Aldebaran. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-july-3-12/

Summer can be defined in several ways. Astronomical summer begins with the June solstice and ends with the September equinox, lasting about 93 days. In 2026, it starts on June 21 at 4:24 a.m. EDT and ends on September 22 at 8:05 p.m. EDT. Meteorological summer, used by forecasters, runs from June 1 to August 31 each year, offering consistent three-month periods for easier climate statistics. Solar summer, the sunniest stretch, spans May through July, with the solstice in the middle. The “dog days of summer,” from July 3 to August 11, are linked to Sirius but don’t affect Earth’s temperatures. https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/meteorological-summer-vs-astronomical-summer-explained/1780019