Look Up to the Night Sky in June and Enjoy Summer Skies!
June 2018
June – can you believe it, we’re almost half way through the year already? Yikes!
Of course June means the Summer Solstice – the shortest night and longest day of the year on June 21st. (Or if like me, you live in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s our shortest day).
It’s also the official start of Summer – and (hopefully) long,.lazy warm days.
The Night Sky in June – Meteors and Moons
You’ll need to be up early to spot the Arietids Meteor Shower. It occurs mostly during daylight, which makes it pretty impossible to see – but if you get up before sunrise on Thursday or Friday 7 or 8 June, you should be rewarded with a good show of shooting stars. They’ll probably be quite low on the horizon.
The New Moon on June 13th is also (unusually) a Supermoon! Sit outside and enjoy it – the lack of moonlight means you’ll be able to see the stars better – and it’s a lovely, inexpensive and enjoyable way to spend a warm evening. (And of course it’s green and eco-friendly too).
You don’t often see a New Moon. Why? Because they rise and set with the sun, so they’re visible only during the daytime – and they show their dark side to the Earth, so it’s virtually impossible to see them
But, if conditions are just right, you might be able to spy the new moon supermoon (also known in this case as a “young moon“) briefly after sunset on June 14. More details here.
(By the way, it’s called a supermoon when it’s closer to the Earth and so looks larger than normal).
Full Moon this month is June 28th and it’s also known as the strawberry moon, for obvious reasons.
The Night Sky (sort of) in June – Fireflies
Depending on where you live, you might also see fireflies flitting around the ground this month while you’re watching the night sky – but if not, you can enjoy this video instead.
The Night Sky in June – Saturn
Saturn will be at its brightest on the evening of June 27 – in fact, it will be as bright as any of the brightest stars in the evening sky.
Look for it from dusk til dawn near the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpio. While the other nearby stars will twinkle, Saturn’s glow will be steady. (If you are in the southern hemisphere, it will rise in the East, then travel and set in the South).
You’ll need a small telescope to be able to see Saturn’s rings (the Cassini spacecraft is currently diving through them).
Enjoy!
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Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.
Related:
- Do your laundry the green and ecofriendly way – here’s how!
- Get rid of all the toxic products in your life (you’ll be shocked at where they hide!). It’s easy – see how here!
