Enjoy planets arcing overhead in morning and more celestial events in July 2022

The planets Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will dominate morning skies in July, according to NASA. The trio will be accompanied by bright stars, Capella, Aldebaran, and Fomalhaut in the morning sky throughout this month.

Look for the Moon between Mars and Jupiter on the morning of July 20, and right next to Mars the following morning, on July 21.

Below are other celestial events to watch this month:

In the northern hemisphere, July is referred to as the "dog days of summer." This phrase has to do with the brightest star in the sky, Sirius. According to NASA, at the peak of summer, the Sun lies in the same part of the sky as Sirius, which the ancient Greeks and Romans associated with the dog-shaped constellation Canis major, just as we do today.

In ancient times, both the Greeks and Romans believed the blazing bright star's proximity in the sky added to the Sun's heat during that time of the year making it even more oppressive. Hence, they called this hot time of year the "dog days."

Next up, during this month, you'll be able to fully enjoy our home galaxy Milky Way's core, which is densely packed with stars and dark clouds of dust and gas. If you are under dark skies, look south as soon as it gets fully dark out.

If you're under urban skies, the group of stars in Sagittarius known as the Teapot will help you pinpoint its location on the sky. The galaxy core lies just right of the stars of the Teapot's "spout."

Summer nights call for stargazing!Look out for some of July's celestial events, including the planets of dawn, the "Dog Days of Summer" and an astronomical teapot pointing to the center of the Milky Way. All this and more in this month's What's Up: https://t.co/NHKkYBih1m pic.twitter.com/Rttv0vmQFn

— NASA (@NASA) July 1, 2022