Wednesday July 12^th the 18-day old waning gibbous Moon will be crossing the plane of the ecliptic moving south. This is known as the descending node, one of two intersections the Moon’s orbital path (dark green line) has with the ecliptic.
   

   On the day of the node crossing the 18-day old waning gibbous Moon will be over the south-southeast horizon an hour or so after sunset local time. The Moon will be in conjunction, and within about 2^o from the outermost, (8^th), planet Neptune.
   
   
   
   

Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to go to bobs-spaces.