The sky never quite grows dark this month
This is the mid point of the year and June brings our summer solstice on the 20th of this month.
This time of year the night sky is never quite getting dark. It’s not the greatest month for spotting faint stars. Only the brightest stars can be seen. You can take advantage of the soft, warm weather to acquaint yourself with the summer constellations of Hercules, Scorpius, Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila. And watch Venus and Mars as they encounter the star cluster known as the Beehive
Look for the bright stars like Vega in Lyra, which is high in the eastern sky, as is the Summer Triangle it forms with Altair in Aquila and Deneb in Cygnus returns to prominence.
There are two very nice objects to spot with binoculars in the eastern sky well after dark this month. Two thirds of the way up the right hand side of the 4 stars that make up the “keystone” in the constellation Hercules is M13, the best globular cluster visible in the northern sky.
Just to the left of the bright star Vega in Lyra is the multiple star system Epsilon Lyrae often called the double-double. With binoculars a binary star is seen but, when observed with a telescope, each of these two stars is revealed to be a double star – hence the name!
The Sun follows a shallow arc below our North horizon overnight, the geometry allowing views of noctilucent clouds, whose silvery-blue tracery may gleam low down between the northwest after nightfall and the northeast before dawn. Noctilucent clouds are formed by ice crystals coalescing around dust particles. They float near 82km in altitude where they reflect sunlight after our normal clouds are in darkness.
The Planets:-
All the planetary action this month is in the morning sky.
MERCURY
During the last few days of this month you may catch Mercury very low in the north west after sunset. The innermost planet shines at magnitude –0.7 and will be failing below the horizon around 10.30pm.
VENUS
Venus will be lost in the Suns glare this month.
MARS
From around 2.30am the red planet appears above the eastern horizon. At magnitude +1.1 Mars is roughly the same brightness as Saturn, but more difficult to see because its lower in the dawn twilight. The narrow crescent Moon lies to the left of the red planet on the morning of 3rd June. A good pair of binoculars will give you the best view. Mars starts the month in the constellation of Pisces and ends June in Aries.
JUPITER
From the middle of the month onwards, brilliant Jupiter will be low in the sky in the north east in the constellation of Taurus. Shinning at magnitude –2.0 the gas giant will be above the horizon from about 3.30am
SATURN
All the planetary action this month will after midnight. The ringworld rises above the horizon around 1am. Located in the constellation of Aquarius at magnitude +1.0. On the mornings of 27th and 28th, the last quarter Moon will be close to Saturn.
URANUS
Uranus will be too close to the Sun for observation this month
NEPTUNE
Keen observers with a telescope can now see Neptune in the early morning skies. With a dim magnitude of +7.8, this distant planet is rising around 1.30am and can be found in the constellation Pisces.
PLUTO
This distant planet can be found in the constellation of Capricornus. Although it will always be low down and only visible in a ten-inch or larger telescope in a truly dark sky. The dwarf planet rises around 11.40pm at magnitude 14.4.
CERES
The largest object in the asteroid belt can be located in the constellation of Sagittarius this month. At magnitude 7.64 it rises about 11.50pm and sets below the horizon around 6.00am.
Special Events:-
3rd June – Before dawn the crescent Moon forms a lovely duo with Mars, appearing low in the dawn twilight.
7th and 8th June – A thin crescent Moon lies to the left of Castor and Pollux, with brilliant Capella further to the right.
11th June – The crescent Moon with be close to the star Regulus.
16th June – The half Moon sails close to the bright star Spica.
27th June – During the early hours of the morning Saturn lies to the left of the half Moon.
28th June – Again in the early hours the last quarter Moon is located to the left of the planet Saturn.
Phases of the Moon for June:-
New Moon 6th June
First quarter 14th June
Full Moon 22nd June
Last quarter 28th June