Introduction
May was an exceptional month for astronomy for me. I would have liked to do more stargazing with my telescopes, but circumstances did not allow for it. However, my surprise trip to Lowell Observatory more than made up for it. Aside from my scope-free stargazing, I have enjoyed watching Venus and Jupiter move closer to one another in the early evening sky and the rise of some of the summer constellations in the early morning hours.
June is here already! This year is going by too quickly, but I guess that's what happens when one gets older. June will likely bring many individuals out for stargazing, whether it's just stepping outside their house to look up or traveling to a new or old favorite stargazing destination. June will offer great stargazing opportunities for nearly all interests. There will be a stellar planetary conjunction this month, several of the summer DSOs reaching a high altitude for clear views, and hopefully clear skies for the individual who just wants to gaze up at the wonders of the night sky. Typically, I would say something about the weather prospect for the month, but since it has been so unpredictable, 80° temperatures on the 25th and now 40° and rain as I write this, for example, I won't comment on the weather!
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| Mercury |
May left Mercury above the western horizon, where it was gaining altitude and distance from the Sun. This trend will continue until the 15th, when it reaches its greatest eastern elongation of 25° above the horizon. Unfortunately, this tiny world will have lost some of its brightness, falling from -0.5 on the 1st to 0.5 on the 15th. Even from the change in brightness, Mercury should be easy to see. When in doubt, an observer can use one of several tricks to decide if it is truly Mercury they are focusing on. First, planets do not twinkle like stars but instead appear as steady, pinpoint lights, especially when high above the horizon. If Mercury is too low and it does twinkle a bit, an observer should first find brilliant Venus and Jupiter a little higher above the western horizon. Tracing an imaginary line between these two brilliant planets towards the horizon, an observer can find Mercury. This line is called the ecliptic and is the path the Sun, Moon, and all the planets follow through our sky. Of course, there are a couple of other tricks, like using an app, which isn't always helpful, or asking your favorite astronomer if they are present. A clear view of the western horizon will also be helpful. By the 16th, Venus will be higher in the sky than Jupiter, with a thin crescent Moon falling between Jupiter and Mercury. The innermost world will begin to fall in towards the Sun, with Jupiter following closely behind near the end of June.
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| Venus |
The early evening sky during May was graced by the presence of brilliant Venus. This world will continue to rise higher above the western horizon during June and will even surpass Jupiter in altitude from our perspective. This pair of planets, the brightest in the night sky, will reach conjunction on the 9th with less than 2° of separation. On the 17th, a thin crescent Moon will not only join Venus in the sky, but will pass between the Earth and Venus, blocking our sister planet from view! This occultation will begin around 12:30 PM for Utahns, with Venus popping out from behind the Moon about 90 minutes later. A telescope or binoculars will be needed to spot Venus in the bright daylit sky.
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| Mars |
May didn't offer the best chance to view the Red Planet because of its proximity to the Sun from our vantage point. The chance of finding Mars in the morning sky will increase during June, but many observers may still find this world hard to spot in the brightening morning sky. The best chance will be at the end of the month, but on the 12th, observers can use the Moon as a guide. Mars ended May in Aries the Ram and will pass into the realm of Taurus the Bull on the 20th of June. Observers may be able to spot M45, the Pleiades, close by on this date. Aldebaran, the red eye of Taurus, will rise about an hour after Mars. The following months will offer great views of these red points of light in the sky for observers to compare.
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| Jupiter |
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| Saturn |
Saturn was last seen rising above the horizon nearly 90 minutes before the Sun as May ended. On June 1st, an observer will not notice much of a difference! By the end of the month, however, Saturn will rise well before the Sun, giving the ringed world time to climb high in the sky for better telescope views. The tilt of the rings is also increasing, giving observers better views. Saturn will reside among the stars of Pisces the Fish and will easily outshine nearby stars, making it easier to find. The Earth's Moon will be close by on the 10th.
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| Neptune |
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| Uranus |
May skies saw Uranus reach solar conjunction, leaving this world much too close to the Sun to see. This planet emerged from the eastern side of the Sun during late May and is now in the morning sky. Due to the dimness of this planet, the best time to view it will come at the end of the month when it rises almost two hours before the Sun. It can be found in Taurus, below the Pleiades and close to Mars on the final day of the month.
Neptune was last seen among the stars of Pisces at the end of May. It will continue to be found with this grouping of stars throughout June. Neptune will be the first planet to rise in the east, followed by Saturn, Mars, and Uranus. Saturn and Mars are much brighter and can be seen by the unaided eye, so grab a pair of binoculars or a telescope to follow the ecliptic to find the fainter ice giants, Uranus and Neptune. The planets will appear as discs instead of pinpoint light sources like the background stars. On the 9th, a crescent Moon can be found close to Neptune.
Deep Sky Searching and Comet Tempel 2
June's night skies are quiet as far as meteors go. Still, an observer can expect to see approximately 7 meteors per hour on any Moon-free night. Instead of meteor hunting, observers should hunt for DSOs from any catalog of night sky objects, such as Messier's or the NGC (New General Catalog of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars). I also enjoy slewing my scope around with a low-power, wide-field-of-view eyepiece to take in the sights.
Comet Tempel 2 was visible during May and will continue to put on a show for telescope users during June. Tempel 2 will approach Aquarius and Capricorn after its brief visit to the stars of Aquila. This comet can be found in the predawn skies. Since its location changes nightly, I recommend using a favorite astronomy app, like Stellarium or SkySafari, to find Tempel 2 in the sky.
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Monthly Breakdown
June 08: Last Quarter Moon🌗
June 09: Jupiter and Venus conjunction
June 14: New Moon 🌑
June 17: Venus is occulted by the Moon
June 21: Summer Solstice
June 21: First Quarter Moon 🌓June 29: Full Moon 🌕
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| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images were taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos image was taken by Jeff Greenland.The Milky Way and Trees image was taken by Andrew Greenland.
Orion, Taurus, and Pleiades image was taken by Andrew Greenland.
