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June Sky to Stage Antares Occultation, Strawberry Moon and Key Planetary Pairings

This month’s sky features a rare lunar occultation of Antares coinciding with the peak Strawberry Moon alongside shifting planetary encounters.

The summer triangle stars, at center and right, are a harbinger of warmer weather.
In the Northern Hemisphere during the spring, the bright star Regulus is easy to spot above the eastern horizon. The alpha star of the constellation Leo, Regulus is the spiky star centered in this telescopic field of view. Regulus is a hot, rapidly spinning star that is known to be part of a multiple star system.
Image
The planet Venus is shrouded in a thick, cloudy atmosphere. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Overview

  • On June 10, observers in Australia and New Zealand can witness a nearly full Moon occulting the 1st-magnitude star Antares in the early hours.
  • The full Strawberry Moon will reach peak illumination at 3:44 a.m. EDT on June 11, marking the traditional name tied to summer’s first ripening berries.
  • Between June 16 and 18, Mars will pass less than a degree north of Regulus, creating a striking juxtaposition of the Red Planet and Leo’s brightest star.
  • Mercury reaches maximum eastern elongation in mid-June, becoming visible low in the west-northwest twilight around 9 p.m., with Venus shining brightly in the eastern sky before sunrise.
  • The summer solstice on June 20 delivers the Northern Hemisphere’s longest day, followed by International Asteroid Day on June 30 commemorating the 1908 Tunguska Event.