June 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

June Sky

Early June - 11:30 p.m. (EDT)

Late June - 10:30 p.m. (EDT)

SUN reaches summer solstice on June 21 at 1:04 a..m. Summer begins in Earth's northern hemisphere.

MOON reaches full moon and perigee nearly simultaneously on June 23 at 7 a.m., appearing as a supermoon.

Visible Planets:

MERCURY low in the west-northwest at 9:15 p.m. during the first half of June. To the upper right of the crescent moon on June 10.

VENUS low in the west-northwest 45 minutes after sunset. To the right of the crescent moon on June 10.

MARS lost in the solar glow.

JUPITER  very low in the west-northwest on May 26, forming an equilateral triangle with Mercury and Venus at 9:05 p.m. Lost in the solar glow after June 1. 

SATURN in the south after sunset, drifting between Spica and Zubenelgenubi. Next to the waxing gibbous moon on June 18. 

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Leo

Arcturus

Spica

Deneb

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. The relative positions of the stars on the map will match the stars in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...

Three planets dance in the west

An unusual planetary grouping begins tomorrow night and lasts for a week or so. Very low in the west-northwest at about 9:05 p.m., three planets dance above the horizon. On May 26, bright Venus lies at the lower corner of an equilateral triangle. Jupiter, recently a bright object in the west, has sunk so that it now sits just to Venus' upper left. Dim Mercury occupies the final point of the triangle to the upper right of Venus. Binoculars may be needed to find Mercury's feeble light in the bright twilight.

As the nights pass, Jupiter drops from view until late July, while Mercury rises higher above Venus.

Such is our view from Earth...

May 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

May Sky

Early May - 11:00 p.m. (EDT)

Late May - 10:00 p.m. (EDT)

Visible Planets:

MERCURY low in the west-northwest about 9 p.m. after May 22. To the right of Venus on May 23.

VENUS low in the west-northwest 30 minutes after sunset after May 22. 

MARS lost in the solar glare.

JUPITER  low in the west-northwest 45 minutes after sunset. To the lower right of the crescent Moon on May 12. Forms an equilateral triangle with Mercury and Venus on May 26.

SATURN  rises in the southeast at sunset and sets in the southwest near sunrise. Gibbous moon next to it on May 22.

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Leo

Arcturus

Spica

Deneb

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. The stars on the map will match the stars in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...