7 Must-see Astro Events in the Night Sky You Won't Want to Miss This June

Travel + Leisure

2 days ago

Celestial meetups abound in the night sky this month, from eye-popping planet pairings to a crossing of the moon and Mars. Even better: you can view many of June's best sky sights from a city or the suburbs.
Of course, traveling to a dark-sky destination, such as a national park, will elevate your stargazing experience, especially during late June's meteor shower. And dark skies are especially important when northern lights are in the forecast, which could happen at any time, given we're still in the heart of solar maximum—the roughly 11-year peak in aurora activity. The lights put on an unexpected contiguous U.S. show in late May 2025, and those ribbons could dance again at any moment; here's our guide to catching them.
Now, it's time for June's night-sky highlights. Here's what to look for while stargazing this month.
Don't miss sunset on June 7—particularly the roughly half hour after the orange orb sinks, when Mercury and Jupiter will travel toward the horizon in tandem. You can admire the pair in the same field of view in binoculars or a backyard telescope from June 7 through the evening of June 9. (For safety, wait until the sun has fully set before using viewing aids to watch the planets.)
June's full moon earned the 'strawberry' nickname for the month's proliferation of the bright red berries. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the name originated with Indigenous communities like the Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota tribes. It will reach its peak illumination at 3:44 p.m. ET; catch it rising above the southeast horizon after sunset. And despite the fruity label, this month's moon won't actually look pink. A mesmerizing view of strawberry moon in the dark night sky.
Around 2 a.m. local time on June 19, the half-moon and vivid Saturn will tango together in the eastern sky. The duo will be close enough to share a view in your stargazing binoculars this morning. Scan down to spot Venus, which rises just after Saturn and the moon in the eastern sky.
Friday, June 20, marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and the start of winter in the southern hemisphere. To celebrate the new season's kick-off, here are 23 summer vacation ideas for 2025—or, for powder chasers, a buzzy new hotel to bookmark for skiing in New Zealand this winter.
Add another celestial meetup to your June stargazing bucket list with the close approach of Venus and the moon in the pre-dawn hours of June 22. This morning, the sliver of a moon will appear just above Venus along the eastern horizon. Saturn will glow in the sky to the right, and the sparkly Pleiades star cluster will be visible just to the pair's left.
The June Bootid meteor shower is weak compared to the late-summer Perseids, but it has been known to produce unexpected flurries of 100 or more meteors per hour, according to SpaceWeather.com. You can try your luck with the Bootids during the peak overnight from June 26 to 27. The shower's radiant point, located in the constellation Bootes, will be visible high in the western sky after sunset and into the pre-dawn hours.
Head out for sunset on June 29 to watch the crescent moon temporarily cover Mars. The objects appear to cross right as the sun sets, and they'll slowly separate from each other as they near the western horizon. Enjoy the show from sunset until around midnight local time, and keep an eye out for Mercury on the northwest horizon after sunset, too.