Full moon and Jupiter, July 2020

The full moon this month was on 5th July. In American tradition, the full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode at this time. This full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.

I was surprised to see it rise slightly further south than normal on the night of 5th July. Jupiter was very bright above the moon. Saturn should also have been visible but I couldn't see it. Possibly because the moon and surrounding sky were very bright.

The moon when I first saw it, at 22.11

With Jupiter -

And with the church steeple as a reference point -

Next night I was lucky. It was a cloudy night but when I woke at 1 am and looked out, I managed to see Jupiter and Saturn -

From timeanddate -

UPDATE

10 pm on 19 July, Jupiter was really bright and Saturn was also visible -

Moon, Saturn & Jupiter

I woke up around 4 am on 13 May 2020 and looked out and saw an impressive moon. It is in its third quarter and waning gibbous (this intermediate moon phase comes after the full moon and lasts until half of the Moon's surface is illuminated at third quarter moon. Waning means that it is getting smaller. Gibbous refers to the shape, which is less than the full circle of a full moon, but larger than the semicircle shape of the third quarter moon.

I didn't get a good photo unfortunately and the photo makes the sky much darker than it really was -

I then noticed 2 bright "stars" to the right of the moon and realised they were planets. Googled them and found they are Saturn and Jupiter.

Photo taken at 4.23 am.

Apparently Mars was also visible in this southern sky, but I didn't see it as by the time I looked for it, the sky was considerably brighter.

From earthsky.org :
"These next several mornings – May 11, 12, 13 and 14, 2020 – let the waning moon introduce you to three bright morning planets. Jupiter is by far the brightest of the threesome, beaming some seven times more brilliantly than either Saturn or Mars. Jupiter also outshines all the stars. You’ll have no trouble identifying Jupiter. Mars and Saturn are fainter, but – like Jupiter, and like the moon – follow the approximate path of the ecliptic (sun’s path) across our sky. Thus the three planets, and the moon, make a small, graceful arc across our predawn sky. Mars and Saturn are almost equally bright (Mars is a tad brighter), and there are other ways of distinguishing Saturn from Mars. First of all, Saturn shines in close vicinity to Jupiter, and these two worlds will remain close together on the sky’s dome for the rest of 2020. Find dazzling Jupiter first, and that nearby bright world will be the ringed planet Saturn any time this year. Remember … you need a telescope to see Saturn’s rings."

Mars and Saturn 2018

End of July and early August 2018, Mars was very visible in the southern sky and visible from the UK. With its red-orange colour, it was easy to spot after sunset.

In 2018, Mars appeared brightest from July 27 to July 30, photos taken on 25th. Mars Close Approach was July 31. Mars Close Approach happens about every 26 months.

https://www.schoolsobservatory.org

Mars will be visible in the night sky until around mid-August.

Saturn was also visible in the southern sky at the end of July. The constellation Sagittarius was very close to Saturn, though I wasn't able to see that.

 Saturn 24 July 2018 -

https://www.schoolsobservatory.org

UPDATE 20 AUG 2018
Mars was still visible.
Saturn was very close to the moon and although I saw it, I couldn't get a photo.