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June 11, 2026Radio: Today’s Episode
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Evening Array
Tilting the evening sky
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Radio: Yesterday’s Episode
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Tight Family
A tight-knit stellar quartet
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Stargazing
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Evening Array
The planets Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury, and the stars Pollux and Castor-the “twins” of Gemini-congregate in the west in early evening. Venus is the brightest member, with the twins to its right, and Jupiter and Mercury to its lower right.
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Eltanin
Eltanin, an Arabic name that means “the serpent,” is the brightest star of Draco, the dragon, which is high in the north on summer evenings. Eltanin is as bright as the nearby North Star, Polaris.
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Moon and Saturn
The planet Saturn is near the Moon at dawn tomorrow. It looks like a bright star to the lower right of the Moon. A small telescope will reveal the largest of the planet’s almost 300 known moons.
Moon Phases
At the new Moon phase, the Moon is so close to the Sun in the sky that none of the side facing Earth is illuminated (position 1 in illustration). In other words, the Moon is between Earth and Sun. At first quarter, the half-lit Moon is highest in the sky at sunset, then sets about six hours later (3). At full Moon, the Moon is behind Earth in space with respect to the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon rises with the side that faces Earth fully exposed to sunlight (5).
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Stardate Magazine
Current Issue: MAY/JUNE 2026
A Match Made in the Cosmos
by Olivia Castillo
We’ll tell you how scientists at the University of Texas are using artificial intelligence to study the stars. And we’ll explain how one long-distance explorer is finding its way beyond the realm of the planets.
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Stars and Galaxies
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