June 2025 stargazing: NASA highlights rare glimpse of Milky Way's glowing core, planetary alignments and more; here's how to watch
This June 2025 offers a rare celestial opportunity to witness the Milky Way's brilliant core, the dense heart of our galaxy. Visible from evening until dawn, this spectacular view is best enjoyed in dark locations free from light pollution. The timing coincides with favourable moon phases, allowing for clearer and more detailed observations. Alongside this stunning galactic display, this month also features notable planetary alignments and the summer solstice, making it one of the year's most captivating months for skywatchers. Whether you are an amateur stargazer or an experienced astronomer, June offers unforgettable sights in the night sky. Check below for more details for all the stargazers.
Witness Milky Way's illuminated core this June 2025
Nestled within our Milky Way is a densely populated, active region with stars, gas, and dust. The galactic center is fully viewable in June when Earth is positioned just so in its orbit. As Earth turns, it gives a direct line to the galaxy center, pointing in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
To the naked eye, the Milky Way is a faint, radiating strip in the sky. But it's actually a dense ball of billions of stars, whose light gets blended together into a cloudy band. Regular binoculars can sharpen the view, but long-exposure photography captures the full richness of the region; star clumps, interstellar dust lanes, and glowing nebulae.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah?
IC Markets
Mendaftar
Undo
When and where to see the Milky Way's core at its brightest in June 2025
Your ability to see the Milky Way depends on your location, light conditions, and the phase of the moon. Light pollution is the biggest obstacle, so those in rural or mountainous regions will have the best chance of witnessing the spectacle.
Northern hemisphere:
Look low on the southern horizon after midnight, especially in mid to late June.
Southern hemisphere:
The visibility is excellent. The center climbs higher in the sky, glowing brighter and more radiant.
Best viewing times:
11 PM to 4 AM, close to the new moon on June 25, when the darkness is deepest.
Tip:
Either obtain a stargazing app or a sky chart to track the galactic center in your location.
Planetary highlights to watch in June's night sky
June is not exclusively about the Milky Way. There are a few bright planetary groupings to look forward too:
Venus:
This radiant planet continues to dominate the pre-dawn sky. Observable just before dawn, Venus beats all the stars and can be seen with the naked eye.
Saturn:
Rising higher each night, Saturn becomes progressively visible early in the morning. In a telescope, you can even spot its renowned rings.
Mars meets Regulus:
On June 16 and 17, Mars will be close to half a degree from Regulus, the brightest star in the Leo constellation. This rare conjunction, best seen with binoculars, offers a spectacular vision as the red planet appears close to a blinding blue-white star.
June solstice marks a turning point in Earth's orbit
June is also significant as a solar milestone; the June solstice which occurs on June 20 (or June 21 UTC). It is the Northern Hemisphere's longest day and the Southern Hemisphere's shortest day. The solstice happens due to the tilt of Earth's axis, and when it is June, the North Pole is inclined towards the Sun. Different ancient cultures aligned their temples, monuments, and calendars to this solar event, valuing its presence in seasonal and agricultural cycles. For astronomers, the solstice is a reminder of Earth's position in space, an effect that decides which parts of the sky are visible during the night.
Milky Way core visible in June's dark skies
A combination of long dark nights, minimal moonlight, and planetary events makes it the best opportunity to observe the night sky. And yet, perhaps the most transformative view is the sighting of the core of the Milky Way, a glimpse into the galaxy we call home.
This alignment happens only for a short time each year and June 2025, being well-positioned in terms of moon phase and placement, is particularly well-weathered for unobstructed views. Whether you're a seasoned astrophotographer or simply someone who loves an instant of cosmic awe, it's a month to venture out, look up, and reach the cosmos. This month is for your enthusiasts!
Also Read |
Earth in danger? Giant 'city-killer' asteroids hiding near Venus could strike without warning; scientists warn
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Starmer calls on Nvidia's Huang to train up Britons on AI
Keir Starmer will make an appearance alongside Nvidia Corp co-founder Jensen Huang on Monday, as the British prime minister puts technology and artificial intelligence at the heart of his government's plan to boost economic growth. The Labour leader will hold an in-conversation event in London with tech billionaire Huang to mark an agreement in which Nvidia helps the UK train more people in AI and expands research at universities and at the company's own AI lab in Bristol, west England. Starmer is keen to emphasize a positive vision for technology and growth at the start of a crucial week that will see the Labour government promote its plans to spend hundreds of billions of pounds over the course of the parliament. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is under pressure from opposition parties and some of her own colleagues, due to expected cuts in other areas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Direct Shopping From Adidas Franchise Store, Up To 50% Off Original Adidas Shop Now Undo In her spending review on Wednesday, Reeves will prioritize the cherished but struggling National Health Service as well as the UK's military capabilities in light of Russian aggression and the prospect of less support from US President Donald Trump's White House. She will also confirm large amounts of capital investment — which is exempted from her fiscal rules — but day-to-day spending will be squeezed, with some departments facing real-terms cuts. Downing Street, keen to focus on its growth plans rather than spending restraints, confirmed £86 billion ($116 billion) in funding for British science at the weekend, covering areas such as pharmaceuticals, green energy and military technology. On Monday, Starmer will announce an £187 million program to improve the AI skills of British workers and students. Live Events The initiative is backed by major tech companies IBM, QinetiQ and Microsoft, the government said, as well as BT and defense manufacturer BAE Systems. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories As part of the government's efforts to promote tech in the UK, Starmer hosted CEOs and investors including Eric Schmidt and Demis Hassabis at Chequers, his countryside retreat, over the weekend.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Certain people are mosquito magnets, and turns out THIS is the reason why
A recent study reveals that some individuals are more attractive to mosquitoes due to high levels of specific fatty acids on their skin. These carboxylic acids, produced by skin bacteria, create a unique body odor that mosquitoes find irresistible. Researchers identified 'mosquito magnets' who consistently attracted more mosquitoes, highlighting the complexity and redundancy of the mosquito's scent-detection system. Ever wondered why the mosquitoes always seem to find you, even in a room full of people? When a female mosquito is on the hunt for some fresh blood, she has certain preferences, just like you ask the barista for a slim oat milk latte with a shot of vanilla. Yes, mosquitoes are picky. Female mosquitoes pick the human species by tracking our CO2 exhalations, body heat, and body odor. But some people seem to be mosquito magnets than others. Many believe this is due to things like blood type, blood sugar, eating garlic or bananas, or being a woman or child. However, most of these ideas lack strong scientific proof, says Leslie Vosshall, a scientist at Rockefeller Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior. Vosshall and Maria Elena De Obaldia, a former postdoc in her lab, looked at the popular theory to explain varying mosquito appeal: individual odor variations connected to skin microbiota. They found that certain fatty acids emanating from the skin may create a heady perfume that mosquitoes can't resist. The findings are published in the Cell journal. 'There's a very, very strong association between having large quantities of these fatty acids on your skin and being a mosquito magnet,' Vosshall, the Robin Chemers Neustein Professor at The Rockefeller University and Chief Scientific Officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, said in a statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo A tournament no one wants to win To understand the mechanism of this selection, the researchers conducted a three-year study. The eight participants were asked to wear nylon stockings on their forearms for six hours daily, over several days. The worn nylons were then tested against one another in a round-robin style 'tournament' using a custom-built plexiglass olfactometer. In each round, mosquitoes were given a choice between two nylons, and researchers observed which one they preferred. They placed Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector species for Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya, in the main chamber and observed as the insects flew down the tubes towards one nylon or the other. For Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the most compelling was Subject 33, who was four times more attractive to the mosquitoes than the next most-attractive study participant, and an astonishing 100 times more appealing than the least attractive, Subject 19. The samples in the trials were anonymous, so researchers didn't know which participant wore which nylon. Yet, they noticed that something was unusual about Subject 33, because insects would swarm towards that sample. 'It would be obvious within a few seconds of starting the assay. It's the type of thing that gets me really excited as a scientist. This is something real. This is not splitting hairs. This is a huge effect,' De Obaldia said. The researchers grouped participants into high and low mosquito attractors and looked for what set them apart. Chemical tests revealed 50 compounds that were more common in the skin oil (sebum) of those who attracted more mosquitoes. They also found that these people produced much higher levels of carboxylic acids, substances that skin bacteria use to create unique body odour in humans. To double-check their results, the team ran a second study with 56 new participants. Once again, Subject 33 attracted the most mosquitoes, and continued to do so over time. 'Some subjects were in the study for several years, and we saw that if they were a mosquito magnet, they remained a mosquito magnet. Many things could have changed about the subject or their behaviors over that time, but this was a very stable property of the person,' De Obaldia added. What's the science behind Humans produce two classes of odors that mosquitoes detect with two different sets of odor receptors: Orco and IR receptors. To test whether they could make mosquitoes that couldn't detect humans, researchers created genetically modified mosquitoes missing one or both key scent receptors. The orco mutants remained attracted to humans and were able to distinguish between mosquito magnets and low attractors, while IR mutants lost their attraction to humans to a varying degree, but still retained the ability to find humans. 'The goal was a mosquito that would lose all attraction to people, or a mosquito that had a weakened attraction to everybody and couldn't discriminate Subject 19 from Subject 33. That would be tremendous. And yet that was not what we saw. It was frustrating,' Vosshall added. These findings support another study by Vosshall, which showed how complex and reliable the mosquito's sense of smell is. Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes depend on blood to survive and reproduce, so their scent-detection system has multiple backups to make sure they can always find a human host. 'Without blood, she can't do either. That's why she has a backup plan and a backup plan and a backup plan and is tuned to these differences in the skin chemistry of the people she goes after,' Vosshall says. Mosquitoes have such a strong sense of smell that it's hard to imagine they'll ever stop targeting humans. However, one possible solution is to change the bacteria on our skin. For example, covering the skin of someone who attracts lots of mosquitoes (like Subject 33) with skin oils and bacteria from someone who doesn't (like Subject 19) might help hide them from mosquitoes. Trump's Health Secrets EXPOSED? Nearly HALF of America Thinks Prez is HIDING Medical Truths | WATCH 'We haven't done that experiment. That's a hard experiment. But if that were to work, then you could imagine that by having a dietary or microbiome intervention where you put bacteria on the skin that are able to somehow change how they interact with the sebum, then you could convert someone like Subject 33 into a Subject 19. But that's all very speculative,' Vosshall added. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
June 2025 stargazing: NASA highlights rare glimpse of Milky Way's glowing core, planetary alignments and more; here's how to watch
This June 2025 offers a rare celestial opportunity to witness the Milky Way's brilliant core, the dense heart of our galaxy. Visible from evening until dawn, this spectacular view is best enjoyed in dark locations free from light pollution. The timing coincides with favourable moon phases, allowing for clearer and more detailed observations. Alongside this stunning galactic display, this month also features notable planetary alignments and the summer solstice, making it one of the year's most captivating months for skywatchers. Whether you are an amateur stargazer or an experienced astronomer, June offers unforgettable sights in the night sky. Check below for more details for all the stargazers. Witness Milky Way's illuminated core this June 2025 Nestled within our Milky Way is a densely populated, active region with stars, gas, and dust. The galactic center is fully viewable in June when Earth is positioned just so in its orbit. As Earth turns, it gives a direct line to the galaxy center, pointing in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. To the naked eye, the Milky Way is a faint, radiating strip in the sky. But it's actually a dense ball of billions of stars, whose light gets blended together into a cloudy band. Regular binoculars can sharpen the view, but long-exposure photography captures the full richness of the region; star clumps, interstellar dust lanes, and glowing nebulae. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo When and where to see the Milky Way's core at its brightest in June 2025 Your ability to see the Milky Way depends on your location, light conditions, and the phase of the moon. Light pollution is the biggest obstacle, so those in rural or mountainous regions will have the best chance of witnessing the spectacle. Northern hemisphere: Look low on the southern horizon after midnight, especially in mid to late June. Southern hemisphere: The visibility is excellent. The center climbs higher in the sky, glowing brighter and more radiant. Best viewing times: 11 PM to 4 AM, close to the new moon on June 25, when the darkness is deepest. Tip: Either obtain a stargazing app or a sky chart to track the galactic center in your location. Planetary highlights to watch in June's night sky June is not exclusively about the Milky Way. There are a few bright planetary groupings to look forward too: Venus: This radiant planet continues to dominate the pre-dawn sky. Observable just before dawn, Venus beats all the stars and can be seen with the naked eye. Saturn: Rising higher each night, Saturn becomes progressively visible early in the morning. In a telescope, you can even spot its renowned rings. Mars meets Regulus: On June 16 and 17, Mars will be close to half a degree from Regulus, the brightest star in the Leo constellation. This rare conjunction, best seen with binoculars, offers a spectacular vision as the red planet appears close to a blinding blue-white star. June solstice marks a turning point in Earth's orbit June is also significant as a solar milestone; the June solstice which occurs on June 20 (or June 21 UTC). It is the Northern Hemisphere's longest day and the Southern Hemisphere's shortest day. The solstice happens due to the tilt of Earth's axis, and when it is June, the North Pole is inclined towards the Sun. Different ancient cultures aligned their temples, monuments, and calendars to this solar event, valuing its presence in seasonal and agricultural cycles. For astronomers, the solstice is a reminder of Earth's position in space, an effect that decides which parts of the sky are visible during the night. Milky Way core visible in June's dark skies A combination of long dark nights, minimal moonlight, and planetary events makes it the best opportunity to observe the night sky. And yet, perhaps the most transformative view is the sighting of the core of the Milky Way, a glimpse into the galaxy we call home. This alignment happens only for a short time each year and June 2025, being well-positioned in terms of moon phase and placement, is particularly well-weathered for unobstructed views. Whether you're a seasoned astrophotographer or simply someone who loves an instant of cosmic awe, it's a month to venture out, look up, and reach the cosmos. This month is for your enthusiasts! Also Read | Earth in danger? Giant 'city-killer' asteroids hiding near Venus could strike without warning; scientists warn
