Sunday June 1 – Venus at greatest western elongation (pre-dawn)
On Sunday, June 1, Venus will reach its greatest separation, 46.9 degrees west of the sun, for its current morning appearance. The extremely bright, magnitude -4.4 planet will be shining in the eastern sky from the time it rises at about 3:30 a.m. local time until dawn. Viewed through a telescope (inset), Venus will show a waxing, half-illuminated disk spanning 23.8 arc-seconds.
Sunday June 1 – Crescent moon and Regulus near Mars (evening)
In the western sky on Sunday evening, June 1 in the Americas, the waxing crescent moon will shine just to the right (or celestial northwest) of Leo’s brightest star Regulus — close enough for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The reddish dot of Mars, about equal in brightness to Regulus, will be positioned a generous fist’s diameter to the lower right of the duo. Skywatchers viewing the meet-up in late evening or in more westerly time zones will see the moon even closer to Regulus.
Monday, June 2 – First Quarter Moon
The moon will complete the first quarter of its orbit around Earth, measuring from the previous new moon, on Monday, June 2 at 11:41 p.m. EDT or 8:41 p.m. PDT (0341 GMT on June 3). The 90-degree angle formed by the Earth, sun, and moon at that time will cause us to see our natural satellite half-illuminated on its eastern side. At first quarter, the moon always rises around midday and sets around midnight, allowing it to be seen in the afternoon daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding the first quarter phase are the best ones for viewing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight.
Tuesday, June 3 – Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel (evening)
On Tuesday night, June 3, the terminator boundary on the waxing gibbous moon will fall just to the west of a trio of large craters located a short distance south of the moon’s center (red lines). Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel are all large enough to see with binoculars and any size of telescope. The northernmost crater, Ptolemaeus (96 miles or 154 km wide), has been battered by later impacts that confirm its older age. The flat, almost featureless floor has been filled by lava flows, submerging its central peak and elevating its floor. Alphonsus (74 miles or 119 km wide) is older yet, and only partially filled, allowing its central peak to remain visible. Alphonsus contains a triangle of dark spots that are most prominent when the moon is full — ash deposits from long-ago volcanic venting. Relatively young Arzachel (60 miles or 96 km wide) has an unaltered floor and a terraced rim. Numerous north-south lineations carved by ejecta blasted out during the powerful Imbrium Basin impact event surround those craters.
Thursday, June 5 – Gibbous moon shines near Spica (evening)
As the sky darkens on Thursday evening, June 5, Virgo’s brightest star Spica will be twinkling less than a palm’s width to the lower left of the waxing gibbous moon in the southern sky. As the hours pass, the moon’s easterly orbital motion will carry it closer to the star and the rotation of the sky will lift Spica to the moon’s upper left. Hours later, skywatchers located in a zone extending from southeast of Madagascar through the Kerguelen Islands and eastern Antarctica south of Australia can see the moon occult Spica around 15:00 GMT.
Saturday, June 7 – Mercury climbs past Jupiter (after sunset)
Just above the western horizon after sunset for several evenings centered on Saturday, June 7, the planet Mercury will shine close to Jupiter. Mercury’s swing away from the sun will lift it from Jupiter’s lower right (or celestial northwest) before Saturday to a thumb’s width to Jupiter’s right (or 2.4 degrees to Jupiter’s NNW) on Saturday, and then progressively higher than Jupiter from Sunday onward. The duo will be close enough to share the view in a backyard telescope or binoculars (orange circle) from Saturday to Monday. Ensure that the sun has fully set before pointing any optics toward the western horizon.
Monday, June 9 – Bright moon approaches Antares (all night)
As the sky darkens after dusk on Monday, June 9, Scorpius’ brightest star, Antares, will appear to the lower left (or celestial east) of the bright, nearly full moon. The grouping will start in the lower part of the southeastern sky and climb highest due south around midnight. Once the twilight has faded, look for the scorpion’s medium-bright claw stars in a tilted line above the moon. Hours later, on Tuesday night, observers in a zone that extends east across most of Australia and Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and across the South Pacific Ocean to Hanga Roa (Easter Island) can watch the moon occult Antares. Use an app like Starry Night or SkySafari to look up the timings for the event where you live.
Wednesday, June 11 – Full Strawberry Moon
The moon will officially reach its full phase on Wednesday, June 11 at 3:44 a.m. EDT, 12:44 a.m. PDT, (0744 GMT). The June full moon, colloquially known as the Strawberry Moon, Mead Moon, Rose Moon, Birthing Moon, or Hot Moon, always shines in or near the stars of Sagittarius, the Archer. The indigenous Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region call this moon Ode’miin Giizis, the Strawberry Moon. For the Cree Nation, it’s Opiniyawiwipisim, the Egg Laying Moon (referring to the activities of wild waterfowl). The Mohawks call it Ohiarí:Ha, the Fruits are Small Moon. The Cherokee call it Tihaluhiyi, the Green Corn Moon, when crops are growing. The moon is only full when it is opposite the sun in the sky, so full moons always rise in the east as the sun is setting, and set in the west at sunrise. Since sunlight is hitting the moon face-on at that time, no shadows are cast, so all of the tonal variations you see arise from differences in the reflectivity, or albedo, of the lunar surface rocks.
Friday, June 13 – Stars to wish upon (evening)
If you want to wish upon the first star to shine after dusk, then you’ve got two to choose from in mid-June. As the sky darkens after sunset, cast your gaze high in the southern sky to spot yellow-orange Arcturus (Alpha Boötis). At magnitude -0.15, it’s not only the brightest star in Boötes, the Herdsman, but also the fourth brightest star in the entire night sky worldwide. Only our sun and Sirius are brighter for mid-Northern latitude skywatchers. At only 37 light-years away from the sun, Arcturus is a “neighbor” of ours. If you happen to be facing east, you might see the equally bright star Vega, in Lyra, the Harp, first. Vega is the next brightest star in the sky after Arcturus, due to its location only 25 light-years away from us.
Saturday, June 14 – Lyra’s double double Star (all night)
The constellation of Lyra is positioned high in the eastern sky during late evening in June. Keen eyes might reveal that the medium-bright star Epsilon Lyrae, which is located just a finger’s width to the lower left (or one degree to the celestial east) of the very bright star Vega, is a close-together pair of stars — a double star. Binoculars (orange circle) or a backyard telescope will certainly show the two stars. Examining Epsilon at high magnification will reveal that each of those stars is itself a double — hence its nickname, “the Double Double”. Each duo is a true binary star system, with the companions orbiting one another once every 600 and 1,200 years.
Monday, June 16 – Mars glides past Regulus (evening)
In the western sky after dusk on Monday, June 16 and again on the following evening, the eastward orbital motion of the reddish planet Mars will carry it close enough above Leo’s brightest star Regulus for the duo to share the eyepiece of a backyard telescope (orange circle) until they drop into the treetops around 11 p.m. local time. The 79 light-years-distant, white star will shine with the same intensity as the red planet, which will be a mere 15 light-minutes away from Earth. The duo will be cozy enough to share the view in binoculars from June 7 to 26. Over that interval, Mars will switch from Regulus’ right (celestial west) to its left (celestial east), as shown by the dotted line.
Wednesday, June 18 – Third Quarter Moon
The moon will officially reach its third quarter phase at 3:19 p.m. EDT, 12:19 p.m. PDT (1919 GMT) on Wednesday, June 18. At third (or last) quarter the moon appears half-illuminated on its western, sunward side. The moon will rise after midnight local time, and then remain visible until it sets in the western daytime sky in early afternoon. Third quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth in our trip around the Sun. About 3.5 hours later, Earth will occupy that same location in space. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase are the best ones for observing deep sky targets.
Thursday, June 19 – Half-moon near Saturn and Neptune (pre-dawn)
The southeastern sky before sunrise on Thursday morning, June 19, will host the pretty, waning crescent moon posing with two planets. Once they have cleared the rooftops around 2 a.m. local time, the yellowish dot of Saturn will be shining a short distance to the right (or celestial west) of the nearly half-illuminated moon, allowing them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Venus will gleam off to their lower left after it rises around 3 a.m. local time. Saturn will disappear once the sky brightens towards sunrise, but the moon and Venus will linger a while longer.
Friday, June 20 – Northern Summer Solstice
On Friday, June 20 at 10:42 p.m. EDT or 7:42 p.m. PDT (which converts to Saturday at 0242 GMT), the sun will reach its northernmost declination for the year, delivering the maximum daylight hours of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and the minimum daylight hours of the year for the Southern Hemisphere. The June solstice marks the beginning of the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
Saturday, June 21 – Crescent moon crosses Venus
After another 48 hours of eastward orbital motion, the crescent moon will move to shine off to the upper right (or celestial west) of brilliant Venus in the eastern sky on Saturday morning, June 21. The pair will make a lovely photo opportunity from the time Venus rises, at about 3 a.m. local time, until the brightening sky hides them. The following morning, the moon will shine to Venus’ upper left and a little closer to the planet.
Monday, June 23 – Pretty moon near the Pleiades and Uranus (pre-dawn)
When the pretty, waning crescent moon rises in the east before dawn on Monday, June 23, in the Americas, it will be shining a short distance to the lower left (or celestial east) of the Pleiades Star Cluster in Taurus, the Bull, setting up a nice photo opportunity for early risers. Also known as the Seven Sisters and by many other names, the cluster looks particularly nice through binoculars (orange circle) in morning twilight. Before the sky brightens too much, skywatchers can also try to see the star-like dot of bluish Uranus, which will spend this year less than a palm’s width to the Pleiades’ lower right (or celestial south).
Wednesday, June 25 – New Moon
On Wednesday, June 25 at 6:32 a.m. EDT, 3:32 a.m. PDT (1032 GMT, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. At the new phase, our natural satellite will be located in western Gemini, and about 4 degrees north of the sun. While new, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only shine on the far side of the moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, it becomes completely hidden from view from anywhere on Earth for about a day. After the new moon phase, Earth’s celestial night-light will return to shine as a crescent in the western evening sky.
Thursday, June 26 – Young moon with Mercury and Gemini’s Twins (after sunset)
For more than an hour after sunset on Thursday, June 26, the slender crescent of the young, 3%-illuminated moon will accompany Mercury above the western horizon. After the sun has completely set, at about 8:30 p.m. local time, use binoculars (orange circle) to look for the prominent, magnitude 0.0 dot of Mercury shining several finger widths to the left (or about 4 degrees to the celestial southeast) of the moon. In the Eastern Time zone, the bright “twin” stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, will be aligned off to the right of Mercury and the moon. Folks in more westerly time zones will see the moon a bit higher than the other three objects.
Friday, June 27 – Earthshine Moon and Mercury bracket the Beehive (after sunset)
For several days after its new moon phase each month, the moon displays Earthshine, also known as the Ashen Glow and “the old moon in the new moon’s arms”. That’s sunlight reflected off Earth and back toward the moon, slightly brightening the dark portion of the moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere. In the lower part of the western sky after sunset on Friday, June 27, the Earthshine moon will shine nearly a fist’s diameter to the upper left (or celestial east) of Mercury’s prominent dot. Once the sky darkens a bit, place the moon at the upper left edge of the field of view of binoculars (orange circle) and look for the large, scattering of stars that make up the Beehive Cluster.
Sunday, June 29 – Crescent moon covers Mars (evening)
In the western sky on Sunday evening, June 29 in the Americas, the waxing crescent moon will shine very close to the bright, reddish dot of Mars, allowing them to share the view in binoculars and backyard telescopes (green circle). In mid-evening, observers in a region of the Pacific Ocean southwest of Central America and extending to western Ecuador can watch the moon occult Mars. Use an app like Starry Night or SkySafari to look up the start and end times for your location.
Monday, June 30 – Saturn shines near Neptune (overnight)
From late June to early July, 2025, the orbital motion of Saturn will carry it close enough to the distant planet Neptune for the two planets to share the view in a backyard telescope during the hours between midnight and dawn. The yellowish, medium-bright planet Saturn will shine about one-third of the way up the southeastern sky before dawn. 560-times fainter Neptune will require a telescope to see it. Your telescope (inset, red circle) will likely mirror and/or invert the view shown here. Neptune will appear as a blue, non-twinkling “star”.
Read more at: https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html