What’s Up in the Sky – June 2024 – Amateur Astronomers Association

AAA Observers’ June Guide

June’s Evening Planets:

Mercury will be in Gemini the Twins in the last week of June until around 8 PM.

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 Boötes 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:

Mercury will be in Taurus the Bull as of 5 AM on the first week of June. Find Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus the Bull as of 5 AM and rising earlier every morning. Saturn is in Aquarius the Water-bearer lingering until sunrise. Red Mars will be up moving between Pescis the fish and Cetus the Sea-monster through the month as of 4 AM and rising earlier every night. Neptune is in Pisces the Fish as of 2 AM and rising earlier every night. Dwarf Pluto will be 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 Eagle 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 perigee (228,700 miles away)
June 2 Moon is 2° north of Mars – Sunset
June 3 Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Moon, Mars, Neptune, Saturn line-up – Pre-dawn
June 6 New Moon at 8:35 AM
June 14 First Quarter Moon at 1:20 AM
June 14 Moon at apogee (251,100 miles away)
June 20 Moon is 0.25 ° north of Antares – Sunrise
June 20 Summer solstice – longest day of 2024
June 21 Full Moon at 9:10 PM
June 27 Moon at perigee (229,500 miles away)
June 28 Last quarter Moon at 5:55 PM
June 30 Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Moon, Neptune, Saturn line-up – Pre-dawn