Once again the planets dominate the night sky this month with mars and saturn in the south and east (mercury is also visible to very early risers) and venus in the western sky. But the new moon on the 20th (which also rises and sets with the sun) brings plenty of opportunity for deep sky observations too. The globular cluster M13 reaches its highest point in the sky in the constellation of hercules) on the 17th, which is very impressive to see, but will require a telescope.
The only meteor shower that was due this month has already passed, but was drowned out by the full moon. Dont give up on meteors though, they can be seen on most nights, with the normal rate being as high as 10 per hour.
Please remember though, that it can take up to 20 minutes for your eyes to get used to dark conditions, so the longer you stay outside, the more you're likely to see!!
Happy stargazing everyone
