Several close encounters will happen throughout the month of June starting with a Venus & Jupiter Conjunction. During the first half of the month, Venus and Jupiter will dominate the western sky at dusk. They will appear the closest each other on June 8 and 9, appearing only about 1½° apart. A great naked eye sight!
On June 13th look for a close approach of the crescent Moon and the Pleiades (M45). Look toward the east-northeast about an hour before sunrise. You will need binoculars to glimpse M45.
Next, On the evenings of June 15-17, check out the waxing crescent moon get closer to Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. They will be low in the western sky. Look for them about 35 minutes after sunset.
In the first half of June, Mars sits low in the bright eastern twilight shortly before sunrise. In the second half of June, it rises higher and moves near the delicate Pleiades. In the 2nd half of June, Venus and Jupiter will move away from each other, with Jupiter slowly approaching the horizon. The much fainter Mercury will lie below Jupiter. As the month proceeds, Mercury will move closer to the horizon and become even fainter and more difficult to spot.
June 21 will mark the beginning of summer (Summer Solstice) along with the 1st Quarter Moon. New Moon is on the 14th.
Clear and Dark Skies, Dave Holland
