It’s already June.
And that not only means that for many people the vacations are just around the corner, but also that fascinating stars, constellations and planets appear above us every night waiting to be observed.
But what can we see in the sky this June?
Here are the most interesting observations.
What to observe in the sky during the month of June?
The highlight of this month is undoubtedly that next June 20 at 20 hours 50 minutes UTC the Sun passes through the June solstice (located in Taurus, very close to Gemini), starting the astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.
This year 2024 the shortest night at our latitude is June 20-21.
However, during the whole week of the solstice the length of the night hardly varies by a few seconds.
The Sun’s Declination will be +23º 26.3 minutes, and from June 21 the Sun’s declination will begin to decrease.
Summer triangle
We can now draw the Summer Triangle in the sky, with Altair from the constellation of the Eagle, Deneb from the Swan, and Vega from the constellation of the Lyre.
- Vega.
It is the fifth brightest star in the sky.
It is a blue star and is 25 light-years away.
Its magnitude is 0.0. - Deneb.
Deneb is 1,425 light-years away and has a magnitude of 1.3. - Altair.
It is the twelfth brightest star, and the main star of the constellation of the Eagle.
We recognize it as the southern vertex of the Summer Triangle.
It is located at a distance of 16.7 light-years from Earth and has a magnitude of 0.8.
What planets are seen in June?
Mercury passes through its superior conjunction on June 14, so we will hardly be able to see it in June.
Only the last days of the month it can be seen during evening twilight, although with difficulty due to its low height above the horizon visible W-NE moments after sunset.
Venus passes through its superior conjunction in Taurus on June 4, so it is not visible this June.
Only towards the end of the month, it can be observed with effort because it coincides with twilight and almost close to the W-NE horizon where the Sun has just set.
By then it is already in Gemini and shows a Magnitude of -3.9.
Mars The warrior Ares can be seen to the E during dawn, a little higher each day.
It moves with Magnitude 1.0 through the eastern part of Pisces and through Aries.
At the end of June it appears in the E-NE one hour before it starts to get clear.
Jupiter is not visible during the first days of June, but soon reappears in the E-NE shortly before sunrise.
It is in Taurus, where it shows a magnitude of -2.0.
Saturn we will see it at dawn and dawn with Magnitude 1.1 in the E part of Aquarius, where it remains stationary at the end of the month.
Phases of the moon
We cannot forget the enigmatic moon.
Here is the calendar with the phases of this natural satellite during this month:
- New Moon on Thursday, June 6 at 12:38 UT in Taurus
- Fourth crescent on Friday, June 14 at 05:18 UT in Leo
- Full Moon on Saturday, June 22 at 01:08 AM UT in Sagittarius
- Waning quarter on Friday, June 28th at 21:53 TU at the Whale
The 10 most visible deep sky objects this June
Before going on to see the 10 objects in the sky that we can enjoy this month, we leave you a beautiful photo of the Horse and Flame Nebula taken by our collaborator Juan Torrente:
- Ring Nebula – Lyra Constellation.
- Wild Duck Cluster – Scutum Constellation.
- Trifid Nebula – Constellation Sagittarius
- Lagoon Nebula – Sagittarius Constellation
- Eagle Nebula – Constellation Serpens
- Omega Nebula – Sagittarius Constellation
- Large Globular Cluster in Hercules – Constellation Hercules
- Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex – Ophiuchus Constellation
- Blue Horsehead Nebula – Constellation Scorpius
- Small Star Cloud of Sagittarius – Constellation Sagittarius
So much for what we will be able to see in the sky this June.
But what is the best way to do it?
If you are looking for a solution that avoids the problem of light pollution while offering you a unique experience, astronomical navigation may have the answer.
At SeaStarlight we offer astronavigation experiences all along the Spanish coastline so you can enjoy the June sky on board:
