At the end of July 2015, the little comet C/2015 F4 (Jacques) passes the splendid double star Albireo, the star that marks the nose of Cygnus, the Swan. The comet was discovered on March 27, 2014 by C. Jacques at an observatory in Brazil. The comet is a dim 11th magnitude which makes it a very challenging object for visual observers. It may not get much brighter, but the video below gives you a view of this visitor from the outer solar system.
Comet C/2015 F4 makes its closest approach to the Sun on August 10, 2015 at a distance of 1.64 astronomical units.
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The Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks this year around July 28. This annual event favors observers in the southern hemisphere and southerly latitudes in the northern hemisphere, though all observers can see some of these slow-moving meteors. The meteors of the Delta Aquariids appear to radiate from a point near the star Skat (δ Aquarii) in the constellation Aquarius. The shower peaks around July 27-30, but unlike most meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids lack a sharp peak so meteors are visible from mid-July through early August. The maximum hourly rate can reach 15-20 meteors in a dark sky. Because of their angle of entry into the atmosphere, the Delta Aquariids tend to leave long lingering trails which sets them apart from most other meteors.
