July 2026 is a month of contrasts for astrophotographers in the Northern Hemisphere. On one hand, nights are short, compressed into a narrow window between lingering twilight and early dawn. On the other hand, what darkness remains is hard to resist. This is peak season for the Milky Way’s brightest region and the last chance to image Jupiter in evening twilight. Add a well-timed new moon, a photogenic full ‘Buck Moon’ and a meteor shower, and July becomes less about quantity of darkness and more about timing. Here’s everything you need to know about astrophotography in July 2026:
