June will be an exciting month with three bright planets and the Moon putting on a show in the early evening sky. As the month begins, very bright Jupiter will be the highest with brilliant Venus below it and Mercury about twice as far to the lower right of Venus and near the western horizon. Although low, Mercury will start the month at its brightest, and it will dim as it climbs higher during the next few weeks. It will be at its highest at midmonth, and it will pause there for a few nights before dropping and being lost in the twilight glow by the end of June. Look about 45-60 minutes after sunset.

Venus will also climb higher during the month while Jupiter will be dropping lower as faster orbiting Earth starts to leave it behind. This will lead to the two brightest star-like objects passing close to each other on June 7-9 and giving us one of the best sights in astronomy. Brighter Venus will be on the right, and both will be to the lower left of Pollux and Castor to its right, the twin stars of Gemini (the Twins). A few days after this passing, Venus will line up to the left of the twin stars.

The crescent Moon will join the show a week later. It will first pass Mercury, then Jupiter and the twin stars, and finally Venus on the evenings of June 15 through 17. By the end of the month, Venus will have passed the Beehive open star cluster in Cancer (the Crab) and will be closing in on Regulus, the bright star that represents the heart of Leo (the Lion).

The dance of the planets and the Moon in the evening sky and, especially, the close pairing of Venus and Jupiter should not be missed. Not only will we have an excellent chance to see elusive Mercury, but it will give us an opportunity to witness the movement of the bright planets and the Moon as their relationship to each other and the western horizon continually changes.

For early risers, Saturn and Mars will be far enough away from the Sun to be seen in a dark sky. As June begins, Saturn will rise about two hours before sunrise, and Mars will follow about an hour later. Saturn will be unmistakable in a dim part of the sky as it slowly crawls eastward in Pisces (the Fish) and below the Great Square of Pegasus (the Flying Horse). Meanwhile, Mars in its faster orbit will move eastward from below the stars of Aries (the Ram) to below the Pleiades (or Seven Sisters) open star cluster in Taurus (the Bull). By the end of June, this widening gap will cause Mars to follow Saturn by about two hours, but Earth’s faster orbit will cause Saturn to rise about four hours before the Sun and Mars two hours before sunrise.

Observing Highlights

-June 7: Brilliant Venus and very bright Jupiter will be side by side at nightfall. They will be closest on June 9.

-June 10: The Moon will be close to the upper left of Saturn before dawn. It will follow Saturn and lead Mars on the 11th.

-June 11: Venus will line up with Pollux on the left and Castor on the right, the twin stars of Gemini (the Twins).

-June 15-17: The Moon will be lower right of Mercury on the 15th, to the right of Jupiter and below Pollux on the left and Castor on the right, the twin stars of Gemini (the Twins), on the 16th, and to the upper left of Venus on the 17th.

-June 18: The Moon will be to the lower right of Regulus, the brightest star in Leo (the Lion). The Moon will move in its orbit and will be to the left of Regulus on the 19th. Venus will be very close to the Beehive open star cluster in Cancer (the Crab) on the 18th-20th.

-June 20: Star Party sponsored by Grout Museum & Black Hawk Astronomy Club, Prairie Grove Park, Waterloo, 9-10:30.

-June 21: The day of the summer solstice, which marks the start of summer in the northern hemisphere. The Sun will rise and set as far north as it ever does before moving southward until the winter solstice.

-June 22: The Moon will be to the right of Spica, which represents a stalk of wheat held in the hand of Virgo (the Maiden). The Moon will be to the lower left of Spica on the 23rd.

-June 26: The Moon will lead the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius (the Scorpion) into the evening sky.