Sky Events June 2014

Moon Phases

Thursday, June 5, 4:39 p.m. EDT

First Quarter Moon

The First Quarter Moon rises around 1 p.m. and sets around 2 a.m. It dominates the evening sky.

Friday, June 13, 12:11 a.m. EDT

Full Moon

The Full Moon of June is known as the Corn-Planting Moon or the Strawberry Moon. It rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, the only night in the month when the Moon is in the sky all night long. The rest of the month, the Moon spends at least some time in the daytime sky.

Thursday, June 19, 2:39 p.m. EDT

Last Quarter Moon

The Last Quarter Moon rises around 1 a.m. and sets around 1 p.m. It is most easily seen just after sunrise in the southern sky.

Friday, June 27, 4:08 a.m. EDT

New Moon

The Moon is not visible on the date of New Moon because it is too close to the Sun, but can be seen low in the East as a narrow crescent a morning or two before, just before sunrise. It is visible low in the West an evening or two after New Moon.

Observing Highlights

Tuesday, June 3, 2:08–3:44 p.m. EDT

Triple shadow transit on Jupiter

The shadows of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto will play on Jupiter’s cloud deck. Best observed from eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Saturday, June 7, 9 p.m. EDT

Mars and the Moon

The waxing gibbous Moon will pass just south of the planet Mars.

Sunday, June 8, dusk

Spica and the Moon

The Moon will pass just north of the bright star Spica in Virgo.

Tuesday, June 10, dusk

Saturn and the Moon

The Moon will pass just south of the planet Saturn. The Moon will occult Saturn as seen from southern South Africa (as seen here) and parts of the Southern Ocean.

Tuesday, June 10, 6:07–6:28 p.m. EDT

Double shadow transit on Jupiter

The shadows of Europa and Ganymede will cross Jupiter’s cloud deck simultaneously. Best observed from central South America.

Saturday, June 21, 6:51 a.m. EDT

Solstice

The beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tuesday, June 24, dawn

Venus and the Moon

The slender crescent Moon will pass just below the planet Venus.

Wednesday, June 25, dawn

Aldebaran and the Moon

The Moon passes just north of the bright star Aldebaran in Taurus.

Planets

Mercury sets just after the Sun for the first two weeks of the month, but will be too close to the Sun to be seen for the last two weeks.

Venus is low in the eastern sky, rising just before the Sun.

 
Mars is now fading rapidly in brightness as it moves towards the far side of the Sun. 

 

Jupiter is now low in the western sky at sunset, and is lost behind the Sun at the end of the month.

 

Saturn, in Libra, is well placed in the southern sky for most of the night. 

 

Uranus is located in the constellation Pisces, rising just before the Sun.

Neptune is in Aquarius all month, rising after midnight.

Geoff Gaherty
Starry Night Software Support
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