See the ‘solstice moon’, a red giant and ‘space clouds:’ the June night sky

June is when the nights are shortest in the Northern Hemisphere, but also when stargazing becomes easier. Camping trips, vacations and more time outdoors naturally increase interest in the night sky. If you can stay up late, the rewards this month are many, with a beautiful crescent moon shining close to the stars Gemini and Leo, a large moon close to the brightest star in Scorpio, and noctilucent clouds visible in the northeastern night sky.

After the summer solstice on June 20, the first full moon of the summer will occur on June 21, with a major rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center scheduled for June 25. So space fans and stargazers have plenty to be excited about in June 2024:

1. A beautiful crescent moon

When: after sunset on Friday, June 7 to Monday, June 10

Where: above the west-southwest horizon

There are four nights a month when a beautiful crescent moon appears in the western sky at dusk, but most of us miss it. We don’t know if it is there and/or if it is cloudy. So here’s a forewarning that a crescent moon will shine close to the stars of Gemini and then Leo over a long weekend in June. Just look west – and if you have binoculars, use them. Not only will you see the spectacular crescent moon, but also “Earthshine” that subtly illuminates the “dark side” of the moon.

2. A big star and a big moon

When: after dark on Wednesday, June 19

Where: east-southeast

Antares, the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpio, is an anchor star of the summer sky. A red supergiant star with a mass of twelve times the mass of the Sun. It is one of the largest stars in the night sky. You can see it in the east tonight after dark, near a big, bright, waxing moon.

3. Noctilucent clouds

Where: Northeastern night sky

When: dusk

Stargazers at latitudes between 50 and 70 degrees north of the equator may be able to spot noctilucent clouds this month. These ‘night-shining’ clouds or ‘space clouds’ are made of icy dust and form about 50 miles away. They usually occur in June and July, because the sun never sets far below the horizon. They are best viewed with the naked eye or binoculars at dusk.

4. Midsummer’s Eve

When: Thursday June 20

Where: sunrise and sunset

The solstice marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. It is when the planet’s north axis has its maximum tilt towards the sun. The time of the solstice is at 3:51 PM EDT, but to witness it, try to see the sun rise (in the far northeast of the year) and/or set (in the far northwest). Solstice comes from the Latin words Sol And sistowhich means sun and stop as the sunrise and sunset points remain the same for a few days.

5. The first full moon of summer

When: moonrise where you are on Friday, June 21

Where: east

Tonight is the evening when you can see June’s full “Strawberry Moon” rising in the east at dusk. Because the sun is at its highest in the Northern Hemisphere in June, the moon is at its lowest, with the ‘Strawberry Moon’ the lowest and last rising full moon of the year. Just like the sun in December. The first summer in the Northern Hemisphere, which occurs just a day after the solstice, is also called the “Hot Moon” and the “Plant Moon.”

6. A big rocket launch

When: 5:16 PM EDT on Tuesday, June 25

Where: Kennedy Space Center, Florida (SpaceX YouTube channel)

If the schedule holds, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the NASA/NOAA GOES-U satellite into geostationary orbit today – for only the tenth time. It will launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, with a launch window of 5:16 PM EDT.

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I wish you clear skies and big eyes.