The Planets
The easiest planet to find is Mars, since it has a red tint. It is visible about a third of the way up in the southwestern sky just after sunset. Just to the upper left of Mars, the bright yellow planet Saturn will be visible until around midnight. With a telescope, you can see not only Saturn’s rings but its largest moon (Titan) as well. As the month progresses, Venus will become increasingly visible. In fact, by the end of the month, the bright planet will rise two hours before the sun, allowing for some great viewing. Finally, the planet Mercury will be making an appearance starting in the middle of June. You can see it in the west-northwestern sky and will be highest above the horizon during the last week of the month.
Meteor Shower
On the night of June 27th, the Bootid meteor shower is expected to peak. Away from light pollution, you should be able to see as many as 15 shooting stars per hour. The favored direction for the show will be the northern sky, you can use the handle of the Big Dipper as a guide.
Summer Solstice
This year’s summer solstice occurs on June 20 at 7:09PM EDT. From this date until the winter solstice in December, the length of daylight will decrease. However, the decrease is very slow at first. Moon Phases The full moon this month was on the June 4, 2012, followed by the last quarter on June 11, 2012. This month’s new moon is on June 19, 2012 and the first quarter occurs on June 26, 2012. Check back next month, I'll have an update on what you can see in the sky during July.
