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 23: Mars and the Beehive
Mars is passing in front of a star cluster known as M44, the Beehive. They are quite low in the western sky as night begins to fall, to the upper left of bright Venus, the dazzling Evening Star.
June 24: Full Moon
The Moon will be full today at 1:40 p.m. CDT as it lines up opposite the Sun in our sky. The full Moon of June is known as the Strawberry Moon, Flower Moon, Rose Moon, or Honey Moon.
June 25: Thuban
Draco, the dragon, is a long, winding, and faint constellation that wraps around the North Star, Polaris. Four millennia ago, one of Draco’s stars, Thuban, served as the North Star. But because of a slow wobble in Earth’s axis, Polaris has supplanted it.
June 26: Moon and Saturn
The planet Saturn is close to the upper left of the Moon as they climb into good view, by midnight. It looks like a bright star. Saturn’s biggest moon, Titan, is visible through good binoculars or a telescope, shining like a tiny star next to the giant planet.
June 27: Moon and Planets
The Moon will form a wide triangle with Jupiter and Saturn tonight. The trio will climb into view after midnight and stand high in the south at first light. Jupiter is the brighter planet, to the left of the Moon, with Saturn to the upper right of the Moon.
June 28: Moon and Jupiter
The brilliant planet Jupiter leads the Moon across the sky late tonight. It stands above the Moon as they climb into good view, after midnight, and to the upper right of the Moon at dawn.
June 29: Delphinus
Small but pretty Delphinus, the dolphin, glides high across the sky on summer nights. You need dark skies to see it. It is due east at nightfall, to the lower right of the bright star Altair. It swims alongside the faint glow of the Milky Way.
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.