The Summer Triangle climbs into full view by nightfall during June. It’s in the east and northeast in early evening, with the brilliant star Vega at the top of the triangle, Deneb marking its left point, and Altair at the lower right. The most prominent constellations of summer, Scorpius and Sagittarius, rise later.
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In the Sky This Month
June 16: Gliese 710
The star Gliese 710 is about 64 light-years away. It’s in the east-southeast in early evening, but it’s too dim to see with the eye alone. In 1.3 million years, though, it will be just one-sixth of a light-year away, so it will be the brightest star in the night.
June 17: First-Quarter Moon
The Moon is at first quarter at 10:54 p.m. CDT. A quarter Moon lines up at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun, so sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.
June 18: Barnard’s Star
The second-closest star system to our own, Barnard’s Star, is in the east-northeast at nightfall. The star is so faint, though, that without a telescope you would never know it’s there. It’s in the big constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer.
June 19: Moon and Spica
Spica, the brightest star of the constellation Virgo, hangs below the Moon as night falls. The star is 250 light-years from Earth and is moving away from us at about 2,200 miles per hour.
June 20: Summer Solstice
Today is the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. It’s the start of the summer season and the longest day of the year. The Sun also is farthest north for the year.
June 21: Delta Lyrae
Delta Lyrae, which is about halfway up the eastern sky at nightfall, consists of two stars, one blue and one red. The colors indicate that the stars have different temperatures. The blue star is hot, while the red star is cool.
Last June 2, 2:24 am
New June 10, 5:53 am
First June 17, 10:54 pm
Full June 24, 1:40 pm
Times are U.S. Central Time.
Apogee June 7
Perigee June 23
The full Moon of June is known as the Flower Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, or Honey Moon.