06-05-2025

Under the June sky: The solstice, Milky Way, and ancient alignments

Earth.com staff writer

Warm nights and clear skies make June a perfect month for stargazing. Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, the sky offers something special this month.

According to NASA’s skywatching tips, this month will present ancient stars, a solstice, and our Milky Way galaxy in all its glory. June brings not just astronomical sights, but moments that echo through human history.

June sky: Planets before sunrise

Start your morning under the stars. This month, Saturn and Venus both grace the eastern sky before dawn. Their slow movement offers a chance to track their position day by day. Saturn rises higher as the month progresses, offering clearer views each morning.

On June 19, the third quarter moon sits beside Saturn. This pairing gives the early sky a graceful look. By June 22, a slender crescent moon appears next to Venus – a planet that often shines brightly but remains close to the horizon.

If you’re an early riser, the view is well worth it. Watching the planets drift across the dawn sky offers a powerful reminder of the cosmic rhythms of the universe.

Rare appearance from Mercury

Mercury joins the show toward the end of June. It appears low in the western sky after sunset. Timing is key – catch it just as the light fades and twilight begins. Though Mercury usually hides in sunlight’s glare, this month gives you a brief window to view it.

The best day to spot Mercury is June 27. That evening, it reaches its highest point and becomes most visible, especially with a clear view of the horizon. Mercury’s appearance, although fleeting, offers another reason to look west as day turns to night.

Mars and Regulus light up June skies

Mars remains visible after sunset, still glowing faintly in the western sky. It’s not as bright as in May, but still worth observing.

In mid-June, something special happens – Mars moves close to Regulus, a star known as the heart of Leo, the lion.

Regulus has long captured human imagination. As Mars passes nearby, the sky offers a scene rich with symbolism and history.

On June 16 and 17, Mars and Regulus will appear close together – no farther apart than the width of the full moon. Use binoculars or a small telescope for a better view.

Milky Way season begins

June also marks the start of Milky Way “Core Season.” For those away from city lights, this is your chance to view our galaxy’s glowing center. The Milky Way appears as a hazy arch stretching across the night sky.

What we see with our eyes is just the beginning. The glowing band shows the galaxy’s center, seen edge-on from Earth. With long-exposure photography, the structure becomes even more vivid. Dark dust lanes, bright stars, and subtle colors appear.

NASA uses powerful telescopes to see beyond visible light. These tools reveal how the galaxy formed and evolved, uncovering features that are hidden to the naked eye.

Still, there’s something magical about simply standing outside under a dark sky. You don’t need gear or data – just a moment of quiet to witness the galaxy overhead.

June sky marks Earth’s longest day

June brings one of the year’s biggest astronomical events: the solstice. It marks the moment when Earth’s tilt reaches its maximum toward or away from the Sun.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the beginning of summer. The days are long and the Sun climbs higher.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite occurs. Winter starts, days shorten, and the Sun stays low. This happens because Earth’s axis always points in the same direction – toward Polaris, the North Star.

People have watched this turning point for ages, using it to mark time, harvests, and ceremonies. The solstice has served as a calendar marker and ritual signal for communities across the world.

The Strawberry Moon

The full moon in June 2025, known as the Strawberry Moon, will reach its peak illumination on June 11 at 3:44 a.m. Eastern Time. However, the best time to see it will be when the moon rises on the evening of June 10.

The name originates from Native American tribes – such as the Algonquin, Ojibwe, and Dakota – who associated this time of year with the ripening of wild strawberries.

The Strawberry Moon is the final full moon of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. When viewed from these northern latitudes, it is also the lowest full moon of the year.

June’s full moon appears to hang low because it occurs near the summer solstice – when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky. The full moon is always opposite the Sun, so it follows the Sun’s lowest path across the sky.

Since the Strawberry Moon rises and stays close to the horizon during the night, it often appears with a golden glow that can make it look unusually large – a visual effect known as the “moon illusion.”

Participating in an ancient tradition

Ancient structures like Stonehenge and Chichén Itzá align with the Sun on the solstice. They show that skywatching connects all people, across continents and generations.

The solstice invites you to pause and reflect. The Sun, the Earth, and time itself come together in a single moment.

You can follow updates on planetary science, space missions, and more on the NASA website. Look up this month, and feel time stretch across space and centuries.