In June 2023, skywatching highlights include the nearing of Mars and Venus, the leading of Saturn into the dawn by Jupiter, and the intense night stars Spica and Arcturus. Key occasions are Mars in the Beehive Cluster on June 1-2, a moon on June 3, a new moon on June 18, and the June solstice on June 21, which likewise marks a special positioning of the crescent Moon, Venus, and Mars.
Mars and Venus, Summer Stars, and the June Solstice!
The planets of war and love draw nearer each night, as the intense stars of Northern Hemisphere summer rise. And keep in mind the June solstice on the 21st.
What are some skywatching highlights in June 2023?
Mars and Venus draw closer throughout the month, while Saturn leads Jupiter into the early morning sky. Brilliant stars Spica and Arcturus shine vibrantly overhead on June nights, together with the Summer Triangle. And the June solstice, on the 21st, has a special specialty.
Regular monthly Highlights
June 1-2– Mars is in the Beehive Cluster (M44). Search for the Red Planet in the west after dark, where field glasses or a little telescope will reveal a background of glittering stars in this open star cluster.
June 3– Full moon
June 18– New moon
June 21– The crescent Moon makes a lovely grouping with Venus and Mars tonight. Find them in the west following sunset.
June 21– June Solstice. For the north, its the longest day of the year, as the Sun traces its greatest, longest course across the sky. The situation is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, where its the shortest day of the year, throughout the cool months of winter season.
All month– Mars and Venus draw nearer each night in the western sky following sundown. The set will appear a bit lower in the sky each night.
All month– Saturn leads Jupiter into the brand-new day. The Ringed Planet rises around midnight, with Jupiter tracking behind a couple of hours later on.
All month– The two brilliant stars high overhead in the very first couple of hours after dark are Spica and Arcturus (for Northern Hemisphere skywatchers).
All month– Notice the stars of the Summer Triangle– Vega, Deneb, and Altair– rising in the east in the couple of hours after dark. They increase earlier every month throughout the summer season.
Intense stars Spica and Arcturus shine vibrantly overhead on June evenings, along with the Summer Triangle. June 21– June Solstice. On June 1st and 2nd, Mars will be in the Beehive. And on the 20th through the 22nd the crescent Moon passes through, making an especially lovely grouping at sunset on June 21st.
And youll discover Jupiter increasing with the crescent Moon on June 14th.
Video Transcript
Whats Up for June? Planets buzz the Beehive, your bright night stars, and how the Summer Solstice revealed the size of planet Earth.
Sky chart with the crescent Moon near Mars and Venus at night sky on June 21. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
On June 1st and 2nd, Mars will be in the Beehive. The pairing will make for excellent seeing through field glasses or a small telescope, with a shimmer of faint stars surrounding the rust-colored disk of Mars.
You can enjoy Mars and Venus draw closer together throughout the month in the western sky following sundown. Close-by is brilliant, blue-white star Regulus– the heart of Leo, the lion. And on the 20th through the 22nd the crescent Moon travels through, making a particularly beautiful grouping at sunset on June 21st.
Turning to the early morning sky, Saturn and Jupiter increase before dawn, with the Ringed Planet increasing around midnight and leading brilliant Jupiter into the brand-new day. Early birds will discover them on the eastern side of the sky before sun-up all month long. And youll find Jupiter rising with the crescent Moon on June 14th.
Dealing with south on June evenings, the bright stars Northern Hemisphere observers will observe are Spica and Arcturus. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Dealing with southward early on June nights, youll discover 2 especially brilliant stars high in the sky. They are Spica and Arcturus.
Blue-white Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, the maiden. Its situated about 250 light years away, and is really two stars orbiting each other every 4 days at a distance far better than Mercury orbits our Sun.
Its the fourth brightest star in the sky. Its also rather an old star, compared to our Sun, at an age of 7-8 billion years.
This sky chart for June 14 programs Jupiter with the Moon in the east before sunrise, with Saturn farther up the sky towards the south. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
On June evenings, youll notice the stars of the Summer Triangle– Vega, Deneb, and Altair– increasing in the couple of hours after dark, and declaring the long, warm nights of Northern summertime. The Triangle rises earlier each month as summertime advances.
June 21 is the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, and Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. For the north, its the longest day of the year, as the Sun traces its highest, longest path throughout the sky.
The June summer solstice has another intriguing specialty. It helped the Ancient Greeks, 2,200 years ago, to understand the size of our planet with exceptional accuracy. A scholar named Eratosthenes kept in mind the distinction in the length of the shadows cast by poles placed in the ground in two cities, 800 kilometers apart, at noon on the day of the solstice. One cast no shadow at all and the other cast a considerable shadow. By comparing the shadows with the separation of the two cities, Eratosthenes deduced that Earth was about 40,000 kilometers in circumference, which is the actual value.
He was also the first to determine the tilt of Earths axis– which, after all, is whats accountable for the solstices and for the seasons themselves.
Here are the phases of the Moon for June.
The stages of the Moon for June 2023. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Stay up to date with all of NASAs objectives to check out the planetary system and beyond at nasa.gov. Im Preston Dyches from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and thats Whats Up for this month.
Southern Hemisphere observers will discover intense stars Alpha Centauri and Hadar, along with the stars of constellation Crux, in their south-facing view.