Here Are All the Astronomical Events Worth Seeing in June
In addition to the summer solstice—the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere—June is packed with celestial events, from meteor showers to planetary sightings. During the month, Mars and Venus will converge in the western part of the night sky, and Saturn and Jupiter will be visible (and rise with the crescent on June 14) in the eastern part of the sky before sunrise.
Here is a summary of when you should be looking at the sky this month.
June 2: Mars and the hive
This event started on June 1st but will be visible until Friday evening. The Beehive Cluster, also called M44 , is one of the brightest star clusters in the sky and is located in the constellation Cancer. For two nights, you will be able to see the red glow of Mars within this cluster. Look for bright Venus in the western sky and then look directly above it to see Mars.
If you need help finding the stars, constellations, and planets, there are several sky-watching apps to help you.
June 3rd: Strawberry Moon
This month’s full moon will be at its brightest on June 3 at 11:42 pm ET, although it will be visible from the evening of June 2 until the early morning of June 5. The moon will not actually glow red like a fruit – rather, the name comes from the Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples to celebrate the “June” strawberry harvest.
Look up to the southeastern sky to see the Strawberry Moon rise above the horizon.
June 7: The peak of the Arietids meteor shower.
The meteor shower that occurs during the day is much harder to see, but there is a chance you can catch the Arietids at sunrise during the first and second weeks of June. The Arietids are believed to be the most active daytime meteor shower, lasting from May 29 to June 17.
For the best viewing shot , exit during the last dark hour before dawn on June 7th and face east. Many meteors will not rise above the horizon, but some will move up the eastern sky.
June 21: Summer Solstice.
On the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun makes its highest and longest journey across the sky. This means approximately 16 hours of daylight in some places before the sun begins its journey back south before the winter solstice.
June 27: Butid meteor shower maximum.
The Butid meteor shower doesn’t usually cause noticeable activity, but you can catch it at its peak on June 27th. When the moon sets at 1:39 AM ET, there will be no light interference. The radiant dot will be above the horizon all night. Set your location to In The Sky to see the exact time for your area.