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- Written by: PRESTON DYCHES
What's up for July? The Moon gets the band back together, find planet Uranus with some help from Mars, and the star clusters that feel the Scorpion's sting.
All month in July, as in June, the planetary action is in the a.m. sky. Find Saturn rising around midnight, and climbing high into the south by sunrise. Mars rises a couple of hours later, with Jupiter trailing behind it, and shifting higher in the sky each day.
On July 2 and 3 before sunrise, the crescent Moon will join Jupiter and Mars in the east. Looking for them before the sky starts to brighten, you'll also find the Pleiades star cluster above Jupiter, as well as bright stars Capella and Aldebaran. As the Moon swings around the planet in its orbit, this same group gets back together at the end of the month, but as a much tighter gathering of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon with the bright stars of the constellation Taurus.
Then on the evening of July 7 and 8, those with an unobstructed view of the western horizon can spot Mercury shining brightly, low in the sky with a slim crescent Moon. Look for them starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will find Mercury a good bit higher in the northwest sky all month after sunset.
On July 13, for the first few hours after dark, look to the southwest to find the first quarter Moon snuggled up with bright bluish-white star Spica. For much of the lower 48 United States and most of Mexico, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Spica – an event called an occultation.
Next, over three days in mid-July, grab your binoculars and have a look at Mars in the early morning before the sky starts to brighten, and you'll find the distant planet Uranus quite close by. Uranus is not too difficult to see with binoculars or a small telescope anytime it's reasonably high above the horizon at night, but you really need to know where to look for it, or use an auto-guided telescope. But occasionally the Moon or one of the brighter planets will pass close to Uranus in the sky, making for a great opportunity to find it with ease.
The winding form of constellation Scorpius, adorned with the bright red star Antares, is a feature of the night sky around the world this time of year. And at the tip of the scorpion's tail are two well-known star clusters that are well placed for viewing at this time of year.
M7, aka Ptolemy's Cluster, and M6, the Butterfly Cluster, are both located about 5 degrees east of the bright stars that mark the "stinger" end of the scorpion's tail. They reach their highest point in the sky around 10 or 11 pm local time.
To find M7, imagine a line toward the east through the "stinger stars," Lesath and Shaula, and it will lead you straight to the star cluster. M6 is just a couple of degrees above M7. Both are "open star clusters," meaning they're loose groupings of stars that formed together, in the same region of space, and they're only loosely bound together by gravity, so they'll eventually go their separate ways.
M7 is just visible to the unaided eye under dark skies as a hazy patch just left of the tip of the scorpion's tail. But it's best seen with binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view. Its stars are located at a distance of about 1000 light years from us, and they formed about 200 million years ago. The cluster was discovered by Greek-Roman astronomer Ptolemy in the year 130, hence its other name.
M6 is about half the apparent size of M7, and contains fewer stars. It's also a bit farther away from us, at around 1600 light years. It's estimated to be about half as old as M7, at an age of around 100 million years. It was discovered by Italian astronomer and contemporary of Galileo, Giovanni Battista Hodierna, in 1654. These two clusters are easy to observe in July, and their location in Scorpius makes them pretty straightforward to locate on a clear night.
So there's no reason to fear this scorpion's sting. Instead, let it guide you to two distant star clusters, and see for yourself two little families of stars in the process of spreading out into the Milky Way.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Cal Fire’s law enforcement officers arrested the adult male in connection to the cause of the 16-acre Adams Fire Wednesday afternoon off of Main Street in Lower Lake.
The cause of the Adams Fire was determined to be the result of weed-eating in dry grass, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said the man, whose name was not released, was arrested and released with a notice to appear in court on three misdemeanor charges for violations of state Health and Safety Code and California Public Resource Codes.
The Adams Fire started at 3:09 p.m. on July 3 near the 16200 block of Main Street in Lower Lake. It quickly spread in the 100-plus degree conditions in grass-oak woodland and multiple structures were threatened.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office initiated evacuation orders for Zone LOW-E169 south of Main Street and evacuation warnings for zones LOW-E170 and LOW-E176. All evacuation orders and warnings have since been lifted.
Cal Fire credited “an aggressive attack by air and ground resources” that led to crews quickly containing the fire.
As of Friday, the Adams fire, still held to 16 acres, was reported to be 90% contained. No residential structures were damaged or destroyed in the fire.
The Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, Lake County Fire Protection District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office were in unified command on the incident.
Given the combination of extreme heat, elevated fire conditions and an abundant, cured grass and shrub crop across most of California, Cal Fire said it will institute maximum enforcement on human-caused wildfires.
Lawn mowers, weed-eaters, chainsaws, grinders, welders, tractors and trimmers can all spark a wildland fire, Cal Fire said.
Defensible space work is critical to help create a perimeter around your home to protect it from a wildfire, but only when done under the right weather conditions. Cal Fire officials urge the public to avoid any activities that may ignite a wildfire.
State code sections cited in the arrest
Cal Fire made the Adams fire arrest based on three state code violations. Those sections are as follows.
Health and Safety Code section 13001
Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who, through careless or negligent action, throws or places any lighted cigarette, cigar, ashes, or other flaming or glowing substance, or any substance or thing which may cause a fire, in any place where it may directly or indirectly start a fire, or who uses or operates a welding torch, tar pot or any other device which may cause a fire, who does not clear the inflammable material surrounding the operation or take such other reasonable precautions necessary to insure against the starting and spreading of fire.”
California Public Resource Codes section 4431
During any time of the year when burning permits are required in an area pursuant to this article, no person shall use or operate or cause to be operated in the area any portable saw, auger, drill, tamper, or other portable tool powered by a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine on or near any forest-covered land, brush-covered land, or grass-covered land, within 25 feet of any flammable material, without providing and maintaining at the immediate locations of use or operation of the saw or tool, for firefighting purposes one serviceable round point shovel, with an overall length of not less than 46 inches, or one serviceable fire extinguisher. The Director of Forestry and Fire Protection shall by administrative regulation specify the type and size of fire extinguisher necessary to provide at least minimum assurance of controlling fire caused by use of portable power tools under various climatic and fuel conditions.
The required fire tools shall at no time be farther from the point of operation of the power saw or tool than 25 feet with unrestricted access for the operator from the point of operation.
California Public Resource Codes section 4435
If any fire originates from the operation or use of any engine, machine, barbecue, incinerator, railroad rolling stock, chimney, or any other device which may kindle a fire, the occurrence of the fire is prima facie evidence of negligence in the maintenance, operation, or use of such engine, machine, barbecue, incinerator, railroad rolling stock, chimney, or other device. If such fire escapes from the place where it originated and it can be determined which person's negligence caused such fire, such person is guilty of a misdemeanor.
To learn more about preparing for the threat of wildfire, visit https://readyforwildfire.org/.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The excessive heat warning will continue through 8 p.m. Monday, while the red flag warning will be in effect from Friday at 3 p.m. through 11 p.m. Saturday.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly, the National Weather Service explained.
The National Weather Service said dangerously hot conditions, in some places reaching or exceeding 110 degrees during the day and the low 70s at night, are forecast for Lake County until Monday evening.
Along with the record heat, there is forecast to be dry relative humidity and winds with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour, leading to red flag warning through Saturday night.
The situation has led to a mobilization of community cooling centers that will be open through the weekend to offer a safe place during the hottest daytime hours.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LOWER LAKE, Calif. — The 2024 series of “Senior Days” events at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park will conclude on Saturday, July 13 with two special programs.
The morning program, led by park docent, Certified California Naturalist and Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association Board Member Henry Bornstein, will feature a special, private tour of the new ADA-compliant Cache Creek Nature Trail.
There also will be the chance to see the exhibits on display in the South Barn Interpretive Center, including the first public showing of two new exhibits about the endangered native hitch, or chi, and beautiful photos and descriptions of birds that can be found in the park.
The afternoon program will feature a private tour of the historic Ranch House and a special talk by Gordon Haggitt, great-grandson of John and Sarah Anderson, who founded the Anderson Ranch in Lake County in the mid-1880s.
This is a unique opportunity to learn about life in the Lake County ranching community at a time before automobiles, electricity and hot and cold running water.
To register for one or both of the July 13 events, visit AMIA's website at andersonmarsh.org.
Time will be available between the morning and afternoon sessions to bring and enjoy a picnic lunch under the big Valley Oak in the picnic area.
For more information about Senior Days, the park or AMIA, visit andersonmarsh.org, reply to this email or contact AMIA at 707-995-2658.