If you missed stargazing in May, there’s no need to worry! June offers some exciting stargazing events. From the Strawberry Moon to World Asteroid Day, immerse yourself in the wonders of the night sky this month.
| Celestial Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Milky Way Core Season | All June |
| Strawberry Moon | June 11 |
| Moon-Saturn Conjunction | June 19 |
| June Solstice | June 20 |
| Moon-Venus Conjunction | June 22 |
| Moon-Mars Conjunction | June 29-30 |
| World Asteroid Day | June 30 |
Milky Way core season
The beginning of June usually means the Milky Way core season is here. According to NASA, this is the time of year when the Milky Way is visible as a faint band of hazy light arching across the sky all night. Just head to a dark sky site away from the city lights and observe the bright central core of our galaxy.
Strawberry Moon
The full moon of June, also known as the ‘Strawberry Moon,’ will occur on June 11. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the term ‘Strawberry Moon’ is used by the Native American Algonquian tribes in the northeastern United States, as well as by the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples, to signify the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready for harvesting; i.e., the name ‘Strawberry Moon’ has nothing to do with the appearance or color of the moon.
Moon-Saturn conjunction
On June 19, the moon and Saturn will be aligned close to each other in the eastern sky a few hours before dawn.
June solstice
June marks the beginning of a solstice for both hemispheres. It brings the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. This means that the northern hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year, whereas the southern hemisphere will experience the shortest day of the year.
Moon-Venus conjunction
The moon and Venus will be aligned close to each other on June 22 in the eastern sky a few hours before sunrise.
Moon-Mars conjunction
On June 29-30, the moon and Mars will be closely aligned in the evening sky in the western direction after the sunset.
World Asteroid Day
June 30, i.e., the anniversary of the Tunguska event, is celebrated as World Asteroid Day. The first celebration took place on June 30, 2015. World Asteroid Day aims to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth, its families, communities, and future generations from a catastrophic event.
We hope you are now all set to observe and celebrate these beautiful events this June. Bookmark this page so that you don’t forget any of these events!