The sky on July 21, 2024 — as it really was
That day the Sun stood in Cancer — sign and constellation agree here.
Bodies on the ecliptic (noon UTC)
- ☉︎ Sun — 119.2° · sign Cancer · constellation Cancer
- ☽︎ Moon — 300.2° · sign Aquarius · constellation Capricornus
- ☿︎ Mercury — 146.1° · sign Leo · constellation Leo
- ♀︎ Venus — 132.1° · sign Leo · constellation Cancer
- ♂︎ Mars — 60.4° · sign Gemini · constellation Taurus
- ♃︎ Jupiter — 72.4° · sign Gemini · constellation Taurus
- ♄︎ Saturn — 349.0° · sign Pisces · constellation Aquarius
- ☽︎ Moon 100% illuminated
astronomy-engine ephemerides (VSOP87/ELP), IAU 1930 constellation boundaries. Positions accurate to a fraction of a degree.
The day’s dossier, from real data
Checkable facts with a tag and a source; the classical reading is in the chart.
- The Moon that day [EXACT]
full moon, 100% lit; the Moon was 369,671 km away.
astronomy-engine - How far Earth has travelled since [EXACT]
2.2 orbits of the Sun — 2,071 million km, that is 2,694 return trips to the Moon; 805 rotations of Earth; with the Sun — 16 billion km around the Galactic centre, 0.6 light-days.
29.78 km/s along the orbit; 230 km/s around the Galactic centre - Mars then and now [EXACT]
On that day Mars was 247 million km away; today it is 246 million km (closer by 1×).
astronomy-engine; checked against JPL Horizons for 2026-09-14 - Solar cycle [ESTIMATE]
That day fell in solar cycle 25, on the rise to maximum (44% through the cycle).
SILSO smoothed minima - When the sky repeats [EXACT]
Mars returns to that day’s point of its orbit on April 25, 2028; Jupiter — in 2036.
sidereal periods: Mars 686.98 d, Jupiter 11.862 yr - How far the sky has drifted since [EXACT]
The vernal point has shifted 108″ since that day; the real constellations now sit 24.2° away from the astrologers’ “signs”.
precession 50.29″/yr - Picture of the day [EXACT]
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for this date: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240721.html
NASA APOD
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