MONDAY, JULY 1 – CRESCENT MOON APPROACHES MARS (BEFORE DAWN)
On Monday morning, July 1 the pretty, waning crescent moon will commence its monthly trip past the pre-dawn planets. After the moon has risen well clear of the treetops in the east, the reddish dot of Mars will appear shining less than a palm’s width to its lower left (or about 5 degrees to its celestial east). That’s close enough for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Skywatchers viewing the duo around sunrise, or in more westerly time zones, will see the moon closer to Mars and more vertically above it.