Audio Guide to the Galaxy

What's up in July? Best time to see the Milkyway, Moon Day & Virgo Cluster.

What's up in the Night Sky for July?

In the West - Jupiter going going gone. Venus is still super bright & swings by Regulus in Leo constellation July 10. To the East - see Mars in the morning. Pleiades, Taurus, Aldebaran. Bets time of year to see the Milky Way!

Dates of interest:

July 7: Earth at aphelion

July 10: Venus close to Regulus in Leo

July 20: International Moon Day

July 29: Full Moon

Constellation of the month:

Virgo & the wheat laden maiden.

Virgo Cluster with 1300+ galaxies!

M87's Black Hole image

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/teachable-moment/how-scientists-captured-the-first-image-of-a-black-hole/

Spica - Leon's Hypothetical Egg Boys

https://particle.scitech.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bin_000001-egg-boys.png

Image: Hypothetical appearance of stars in an ellipsiodal binary. Credit: Smith/Scitech

For more space news check out https://particle.scitech.org.au/atoms-galaxies/the-sky-tonight-july-2026/

Got a question? Chuck it in the comments and we will try to answer it next episode!

The Audio Guide To the Galaxy is recorded at Scitech on Whajduk Noongar Land.

Join hosts Leon and Sharna as they guide you through what you can see in the night sky in June.

In June wave bye bye to Orion and hello to Scorpius, rising in the east and marking the onset of winter. Due to this change in season this month is your last good chance to see Jupiter, and its putting on a show joined by Mercury and Venus.

Last but not least don't forget to celebrate International Asteroid Day!

Happy stargazing!

Join hosts Leon and Sharna as they guide you through the May night sky.

There's plenty of action in the sky this month with four visible planets, two full moons, an ISS flyby and a stand out constellation.

Happy stargazing!

Leon and Shana share the April edition of Audio Guide to the Galaxy, a stargazing companion for Perth (WA), starting in the western sky at sunset where bright Venus returns to the evening sky and Jupiter sits slightly northwest. After dark, Orion is highlighted as a useful pattern for spotting satellites by repeatedly checking for new, steady lights moving through the constellation, with a challenge to beat 40 satellites in an hour. As Orion sets, Scorpius rises in the east, identified by the slightly red star Antares, with a close Moon–Antares pairing before sunrise on 7 April. They note that before sunrise around 16 April, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn are visible in the east (with Neptune and Uranus requiring a telescope), and mention International Day of Human Space Flight on 12 April and Earth Day on 22 April. The constellation of the month is faint Libra above Scorpius, including discussion of the planet-hosting red dwarf Gliese 581 about 20 light years away and a message beamed there expected to arrive around 2030.

Join hosts Leon and Sharna as they guide you through the March night sky.

This month boasts a very exciting night sky, including but not limited to, two visible planets and a starry ship with a flying fish to go along with it! And of course, we can't forget a spectacular total lunar eclipse, AKA the blood moon - ooooo, spooky.

Plus, an update on the first manned mission to the moon in 54 years ...

Happy stargazing!

Join hosts Leon and Sharna as they guide you through the February night sky.

From the stars Sirius and Canopus to the planet Jupiter, the night sky this month is full of bright spots. If you can find these spots, you'll also be able to find the constellation of the month!

Additionally, Leon and Sharna fill you in on some exiting things involving our moon this month.

Enjoy your stargazing, see you next month!

Join host Sharna - on her own this episode! - as she guides you through the night sky for January.

This month there are a bunch of fun constellations to try and spot but keep your eyes peeled because some are fainter than others. On the other hand, Jupiter is a planet for the people this month! It is shining so bright you don't even need a telescope to see it.

Happy stargazing!