See Planets Pop As Solstice Strikes: The Night Sky This Week
This week sees a turning point of the year — the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice — which is ... More celebrated at Stonehenge in Wiltshire in the U.K.
Each Monday, I pick out North America's celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
This week sees a turning point of the year — the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice. Its aftermath sees nights get longer, which is good news for stargazers at northern latitudes starved of astronomical darkness. However, with Venus dazzling before dawn and red Mars embracing blue Regulus, there can be no complaints about twilight's delights. Here's everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy this week:
Monday, June 16 and Tuesday, June 17: Mars And Regulus In Conjunction
Look to the west after dark to see the planet Mars and a bright icy blue-white star called Regulus shine less than a degree apart. That's so close! Nearly equal in brightness, the contrast in color will be striking. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo, 'the Lion.' It's about 78 light-years from the sun. You can look at these two locked in a celestial embrace for two nights — choose whichever has a clear sky.
Thursday, June 19: Moon and Saturn Conjunction
The moon is now on the wane, and tonight, our natural satellite will rise in the east in the very early hours alongside Saturn. About 45%-lit, this waning crescent moon will be best seen a few hours later in the southeast, mostly because the bright Venus will blaze into view low in the east about 90 minutes before sunrise. Bright star Fomalhaut will be on the other side of the moon–Saturn conjunction.
There's nothing to see on the solstice, aside from sunrise at a stone circle in the U.K, but it's a waymarker every stargazer should know about and understand. At 9:40 p.m. EDT, the sun will appear directly above the Tropic of Cancer — the moment of solstice and the official start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere — after which the nights will gradually lengthen.
Saturday, June 21: Mercury And Gemini
If you have never seen Mercury, glance to the west-northwest about 45 minutes after sunset. If you have a clear view low to the horizon (perhaps from a coastal location) you may catch Mercury shining just beneath the twin stars of Gemini — Castor and Pollux. A flat horizon and binoculars will help.
Sunday, June 22: Venus, A Crescent Moon And The Pleiades
Here comes something truly beautiful — if you can get up early. An hour before sunrise in the east, a 13%-lit waning crescent moon will be on show between brilliant Venus and the Pleiades star cluster. The three most beautiful objects in naked-eye stargazing are all shining together! Don't miss the sight of 'Earthshine' — sunlight reflecting onto the moon's dark side from our oceans and ice caps.
Trail of the International Space Station as it passes west to east over the Meadows Campground at ... More Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Whether you can see the ISS this week will depend on whether it will pass over you just after sunset — something you can discover at NASA's Spot the Station tool or the Heavens-Above website (as well as on many stargazing apps). However, it's a perfect satellite-spotting season because the sun doesn't get that far beneath the horizon at this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere. Put simply, they glint stronger for longer because the sun shines on them even when it's dark down here.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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