As summer arrives with the Summer Solstice, on June 20th at 5:44 pm EDT, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn; planets we have been watching for several months in the pre-dawn south- eastern skies, will have moved into the southern skies, where they will be seen all month. In July, Jupiter and Saturn will emerge in our evening skies where they will be visible from sunset to bed-time.
The best views of Jupiter and Saturn this month will be just one hour before sunrise in the south-southwestern sky. These 2 biggest planets in our solar system appear so close to each other in the sky right now that both may be seen in the same binocular field of view. Moreover, a neat globular cluster of stars called M-75 may also be seen with binoculars just below the line between the 2 planets. And on June 8 and 9 the waning gibbous Moon will be found near the two planets.
Mars comes up after Jupiter and Saturn, around 1 or 2 am, and will be seen at its best around 4 am in the southern sky. Mars will brow in size and brightness all month and telescopes will begin to reveal some of its surface features. We can look forward to the closest approach of Mars to Earth since 2018 in October, when it will be as bright as Jupiter looks to us now.
Venus has moved into view in the pre-dawn eastern sky in June, but remains low —– only 8 degrees above the horizon on June 30th —– among the stars of Taurus; one hour before sunrise.
During the first two weeks of June, Mercury will be well placed among the stars of Gemini after sunset looking west. On June 4th Mercury will be below the star Pollux, one of the two top head stars of Gemini the twins (the other head star is Castor). Look for Mercury in the west between June 4th (setting 2 hours after the Sun) and the 13th (setting 1 hour after the Sun).
June’s Full Moon is on June 5th.
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