What’s Up in the June Sky
June’s Evening Planets:
Bright Venus will be in Gemini the Twins at the beginning of the month and in Cancer the Crab by the end of the month until around 10 PM. In the second half of June, Mercury will be moving between Gemini the Twins and Cancer the Crab until around 10 PM. Red Mars will be in Capricornus the Sea Goat as of midnight and rising earlier every night. Jupiter is in Libra the Scales all night. Saturn and dwarf Pluto will be in Sagittarius the Archer as of 10 PM and rising earlier every night until 8 PM by the end of June.
Sky Safari star map annotated with Annotable by Peter Tagatac.
June’s Evening Stars:
Spot the Summer Triangle of Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the Eagle. Look for reddish Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion, Arcturus in Bootes the Herdsman, Spica in Virgo the Maiden, along with the stars of constellations Lyra, Hercules, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Libra, Leo, Cepheus , Ophiuchus, Cassiopeia, Draco, and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dippers).
June’s Morning Planets:
Mars will be in Capricornus the Sea until Sun rise. Jupiter is in Libra the Scales until 4AM and setting earlier every morning. Saturn will be in Sagittarius the Archer until sunrise. Neptune is in Aquarius the Water bearer as of 2 AM and rising earlier every night. Uranus will be in Pisces the Fish around 4 AM and rising earlier every day. Pluto is in Sagittarius the Archer until dawn.
June ’s Morning Stars:
The Summer Triangle of Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the will be up until sunrise. This month, look for Arcturus in Boötes, Capella in Auriga the charioteer along with the stars of constellations Hercules, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Pegasus, Perseus, Andromeda, Capricornus, Cepheus , Ophiuchus, Cassiopeia, Draco, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dippers).
June Skylights
June 2 Moon at apogee (251,900 miles away)
June 6 Last quarter Moon at 2:30 PM
June 10 Venus lines up with Castor and Pollux – sunset
June 21 Summer solstice – longest day of 2018
June 13 New Moon at 3:45 PM
June 14 Moon at perigee (223,400 miles away)
June 20 First Quarter Moon at 6:50 AM
June 27 Saturn is at opposition, its brightest in 2018
June 28 Full Moon at 12:53 AM, Strawberry Moon
June 29 Moon at apogee (252,300 miles away)
