looking up
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Naked eye
The innermost planet, Mercury, can be evasive, residing mostly in the Sun’s glare. From mid-July to mid-August it is making a favourable appearance in the evening twilight sky. Look low in the westnorth-west about an hour after sunset.
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Binoculars
The constellation Lyra is in the northern evening sky. Bright Vega, next to the double star Epsilon Lyrae, is impressive. The other four main stars, arranged in a rectangular shape, make an attractive field with the Ring Nebula (M57) visible as a fuzzy star.
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Small telescope Saturn is well placed, high in the early evening sky. No-one forgets their first view of its famous rings, giving a 3D effect. Look for the dark Cassini Division. Its brightest moon, Titan, can be followed on its 16-day orbit of the planet.