Moon Phases
Full Moon
Tuesday, June 2, 12:19 p.m. EDT
The Full Moon of June is known as the “Mead Moon,” “Strawberry Moon,” “Rose Moon,” or “Thunder Moon.” It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise; this is the only night in the month when the Moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the Moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.
Last Quarter Moon
Tuesday, June 9, 11:42 a.m. EDT
The Last Quarter Moon rises around 1:15 a.m. and sets around 1:15 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.
New Moon
Tuesday, June 16, 10:05 a.m. EDT
The Moon is not visible on the date of New Moon because it is too close to the Sun, but can be seen low in the East as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the West an evening or two after New Moon.
First Quarter Moon
Wednesday, June 24, 5:03 a.m. EDT
The First Quarter Moon rises around 12:30 p.m. and sets around 1:15 a.m. It dominates the evening sky.
Observing Highlights
Double shadow transit on Jupiter
Thursday, June 4, 12:58–2:13 a.m. EDT
The shadows of Io and Ganymede will simultaneously fall on the face of of Jupiter.
Venus at greatest elongation east
Saturday, June 6, evening twilight
Venus reaches its greatest eastward distance from the sun, its orbit shown in white here. It is closing in on Jupiter.
Pallas at opposition
Thursday, June 11, 9 p.m. EDT
Pallas, the second largest asteroid, will be in opposition to the Sun. At magnitude 9.4, it will be located just south of Lambda Hercules, below the “keystone” of Hercules.
Uranus and the Moon
Thursday/Friday, June 11/12
The Moon will be close to Uranus just before sunrise. In southern Australia and the South Pacific Ocean, the Moon will actually occult Uranus, as seen here from Melbourne, Australia.
Mercury and the Moon
Monday, June 15, sunrise
As seen here from Sri Lanka, the Moon will occult the planet Mercury. Other parts of the world will see the thin crescent of Mercury very close to the thin crescent of the moon just before sunrise.
Aldebaran and the Moon
Monday, June 15, sunrise
As seen here from eastern North America, the Moon will occult the bright red giant star Aldebaran.
Solstice
Sunday, June 21, 12:38 p.m. EDT
The sun reaches its most northern point, marking the middle of the astronomical summer season in the Northern Hemisphere, and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The actual seasons tend to lag behind the astronomical seasons by about 6 weeks.
Mercury at greatest elongation west
Wednesday, June 24, dawn
Mercury will be at its farthest from the sun, and close to the red giant star Aldebaran.
Venus and Jupiter within 0.3 degrees
Tuesday, June 30, dusk
Venus and Jupiter will pass really close to each other, appearing within the same telescope field. Both will be 32 arc seconds in diameter, but Jupiter is much further away from both the Earth and the sun, so will be much fainter than Venus.
Planets
Mercury is well placed in the eastern sky at dawn. It is better placed for observers in the Southern Hemisphere.
Venus shines high in the western sky after sunset, reaching its greatest elongation from the sun on June 6.
Mars is too close to the Sun to be visible. It will be in conjunction with the sun on June 14.
Jupiter is low in the western evening sky all month, closing in on Venus.
Saturn is just past opposition and shining brightly in Libra all night.
Uranus is in the eastern morning sky in Pisces.
Neptune rises after midnight in the constellation Aquarius.
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