NASA Skywatching Tips June 2025

Last Updated on June 6, 2025 by Cass County Communication Network

Here’s an update from our local Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller

Check out this link from Nasa:

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-june-2025-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/

Credits: NASA/JPL, Preston Dyches, Public Engagement Specialist

Planets, Solstice, and the Galaxy

Venus and Saturn separate, while Mars hangs out in the evening. Plus the June solstice, and dark skies reveal our home galaxy in all of its glory.

Skywatching Highlights

All Month – Planet Visibility:

· Venus: Rises about 2 hours before the Sun in June, and shines very brightly, low in the eastern sky, in the morning all month.

· Mars: Visible in the west for a couple of hours after sunset all month. Drops lower in the sky as June continues, and passes very close to Regulus in the constellation Leo on June 16 and 17. (They will be about half a degree apart, or the width of the full moon.)

· Jupiter: Visible quite low in the west after sunset for the first week of June, then lost in the Sun’s glare after. Will re-appear in July in the morning sky.

· Mercury: Becomes visible low in the west about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset in the last week and a half of June.

· Saturn: Rises around 3 a.m. in early June, and around 1 a.m. by the end of the month. Begins the month near Venus in the dawn sky, but rapidly pulls away, rising higher as June goes on.

· Daily Highlights:

· June 19 – Moon & Saturn – The third-quarter moon appears right next Saturn this morning in the hours before dawn. The pair rise in the east together around 1:30 a.m.

· June 22 – Moon & Venus – Venus rises this morning next to a slender and elegant crescent moon. Look for them in the east between about 3 a.m. and sunrise.

· June 20 – June Solstice – The June solstice is on June 20 for U.S. time zones (June 21 UTC). The Northern Hemisphere’s tilt toward the Sun is greatest on this day. This means the Sun travels its longest, highest arc across the sky all year for those north of the equator.

· June 16 & 17 – Mars & Regulus – Mars passes quite close to the bright bluish-white star Regulus, known as the “heart” of the lion constellation, Leo. They will appear about as far apart as the width of the full moon, and should be an excellent sight in binoculars or a small telescope.

· June 21-30 – Mercury becomes visible – For those with a clear view to the western horizon, Mercury becomes visible for a brief period each evening at the end of June. Look for it quite low in the sky starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets.

· All month – Mars: The Red Planet can be observed for a couple of hours after dark all month. It is noticeably dimmer than it appeared in early May, as Earth speeds away in its orbit, putting greater distance between the two worlds.

· All month – Milky Way core: The bright central bulge of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is visible all night in June, continuing through August. It is best observed from dark sky locations far from bright city lights, and appears as a faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south.