The Sky At A Glance

The June solstice occurs on June 21, 1:04 am EDT, as the Sun reaches its northernmost declination on the celestial sphere; by convention this is considered the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and of winter in the southern hemisphere. To learn more about the solstice, check out our "What's New" section.

The Moon & Planets

On June 10, a thin crescent Moon lies about 8° to the left of Venus and 6° to the lower left of Mercury. On the 18th, a waxing gibbous Moon lies about 9° to the lower right of Saturn; on the following day, it lies a similar distance to the planet's left.

Evening Planets (after sunset)

• Mercury, NW
• Venus, NW
• Jupiter, NW (through ~June 3)
• Saturn, S

Visible at Midnight

• Saturn, SW

Morning Planets (before sunrise)

• Neptune, SE
• Uranus, E
• Mars, NE

Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) will have faded to magnitude 9 or 10 during June. It spends the month in Ursa Minor, which makes it circumpolar for observers in mid-Northern latitudes. On the 18th, it passes a half a degree from Kochab (Beta Ursa Minoris), the brightest star in the "bowl" of the Little Dipper.

There are no significant meteor showers in June.