The Sky Tonight Update: Full Moon

This June 28th, the Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated.

The Sky Tonight Update: Saturn at Opposition

This June 27th, the ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn’s rings and a few of its brightest moons.

It’s the First Day of Summer

The June solstice occurs at 10:07 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Night Sky for June 2018

The warm nights of June are perfect for sky watching. Don’t miss the constellations Boӧtes (the Herdsman), Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown), and Draco (the Dragon)—or the planets Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, all of which grace the night sky this month.