See The Full ‘Strawberry Moon' And 100,000 Stars: The Night Sky This Week

Forbes

11 hours ago

The full moon descends as its sets at dawn behind the prehistoric Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, ... More England.
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 is all about the full strawberry moon, named for the seasonal ripening of a common fruit in North America at this time of year — and not for its color. Towards the end of the week, the waning moon will rise later at night, making stars and faint constellations easier to see, including a bundle of some of the oldest stars you'll ever see. Here's everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy this week.
Monday, June 9: Moon Meets Antares
Step outside about 45 minutes after sunset and look to the southeast to find the almost full moon close to the red giant star Antares at the heart of Scorpius, 'the Scorpion' (see below for how to find that constellation).
Tuesday, June 10: A Southerly Strawberry Moon
Tonight's full strawberry moon will appear on the southeastern horizon just as the sun sets in the west. It will then carve a noticeable low arc through the sky all night and set in the southwest. These rather extreme positions are down to the lunistice, a point in its 18.6-year cycle where it can reach its furthest north and south, making its rising and setting points on the horizon furthest apart.
Wednesday, June 11: A Second Strawberry Moonrise
While yesterday, the strawberry moon appeared in a bright sky, tonight, it will rise in darkness about an hour after sunset. It reaches its 100%-lit full phase at 3:45 a.m. EDT today.
Object of the Week: The Great Hercules Cluster (M13)
With the bright moon out of the sky as the week ends, grab a pair of binoculars or a small telescope and look for M13, the brightest globular cluster visible from the Northern Hemisphere. This densely packed sphere of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars is around 22,000 light-years distant in Hercules's constellation.
To find it about 10 p.m. local time, look high in the east close to bright star Vega for a four-star trapezoid called the 'keystone. M13 is on its western side between the stars Eta and Zeta Herculis. It looks like a fuzzy patch in binoculars, while a small telescope shows detail.
Constellation of the Week: Scorpius
Monday is a great time to start looking for the stars of Scorpius, with the moon visiting its brightest star, Antares, to give you a clue. However, come back at the weekend when the sky is darker for a proper look. One of the most distinct constellations in the sky, above-right of Antares, is a trio of claw stars, while underneath it is a tail that leads into the southern horizon. From mid-northern latitudes, it never gets high in the night sky.
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.