The night sky on the night of the Declaration of Independence — 4 July 1776
On 4 July 1776 the Second Continental Congress, meeting in the Pennsylvania State House — now Independence Hall — in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration of Independence. Drafted mainly by Thomas Jefferson, it declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer part of the British Empire. The date became the United States' Independence Day.
The sky over Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
This is the real sky above Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (39.95°N, 75.15°W) on 4 July 1776 at 22:00 Philadelphia local mean time (UTC−5:01) that night (1776-07-05 03:01 UTC). The Sun was 21° below the horizon: it was full night. The Moon (waning gibbous, 84% lit) was below the horizon. Planets above the horizon: Saturn (22° in the south-west). Brightest named stars up: Arcturus, Vega, Altair, Spica and Antares.
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