JUNE is a somewhat depressing month for the star gazer. The Sun does not set until after 9pm. To see a properly dark sky the observer has to wait until very late in the evening.

However, we have now entered the Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) observing season which will continue until August. NLCs are something of a mystery; scientists think they are tiny grains of meteor dust that are surrounded by ice.

NLCs form at a height of about 50 miles and can be seen about an hour or so after the Sun has set in the north. They look like thin, eerie, electric blue cirrus clouds. We see them because sunlight from the Sun which has set reflects off them.

The Plough is now westward of the overhead point but still very high up. Cassiopeia is becoming higher in the east. The ‘Summer Triangle’ (Altair, Deneb and Vega) are also easterly. Arcturus (Bootes) is now due south while Spica (Virgo) and Regulus (Leo) are dropping to the west.

A brilliant newcomer, Antares, has appeared in Scorpio the Scorpion. Antares is often called the ‘Rival of Mars’ because of its colour. A splendid constellation, the Scorpion is so low in the sky it is never well seen from Britain.

What’s up in the solar system?

The Planets in June

Venus is still very easily seen in the west after sunset, but by the end of the month it will be noticeably lower in the sky. Jupiter is also in the west, and although a bright object, it is clearly fainter than Venus. During the month notice how they appear to become closer in the sky. On the 20th at about 22.30 the crescent Moon will be below and to the left of both planets.

By mid-month the planet Saturn, which looks like a dirty yellow bright ‘star’ above Antares, can be seen low in the south.

Neither Mars nor Mercury can be seen this month.

Meteor Showers

A very unpredictable meteor shower called the June Bootids might be seen on the night of either June 24th or June 27th. The Bootids gave us major outbursts in 1998 when 100 meteors per hour were seen and in 2004 when 50 meteors per hour were seen. Will there be an outburst this year? We just don’t know.

The Longest Day

The summer solstice, or longest day, occurs on June 21st.

Phases of the Moon for June

Full Moon 2nd, Last Quarter 9th, New Moon 16th, First Quarter 24th

The full moon this month is called the Strawberry Moon. In medieval times the strawberry crop was traditionally harvested in June.

The June meeting of the Earby Astronomical society will be on Friday June 26th at All Saints’ Church, Earby from 7.30pm-9.00pm. The speaker will be Martin Lunn MBE FRAS, Earby Astronomical Society and the title of the talk will be ‘The Summer Sky’.