July will be a great month to view Jupiter in the night sky.
To see Jupiter, scan the sky about 10 p.m. early in the month of July to find Jupiter high in the south-southwest. By mid-month, this giant gas planet will have moved deeper into the southwest, where it can be found between the constellations Virgo and Libra.
Despite the light-polluted skies over Florida, Jupiter is a negative second magnitude object, making it very visible. At July's end, it is easily seen in the southwestern sky after dark.
You still have a chance to see Saturn. It will be gone in a few weeks, as it is in the west-northwest and moving lower on the horizon each night and providing a zero magnitude (very bright) view. Mars is in the same west-northwest area as Saturn, but higher. Later in July, Mars (first magnitude, bright) can be found in the arms of Leo.
- Peter Krieger