June 2020

Phases of the Moon

Mercury - The Best Evening Apparition

Mercury is on June 4 at its greatest eastern elongation, i.e., it reaches the maximal angular distance east from the Sun. It can be observable using binoculars at the evening, in bright twilight about one hour after sunset and about 9 degrees over the north-western horizon. This is the best evening apparition of the planet in year 2020, so try it!

Venus - Rapid Movement to the Morning Sky

At the end of May, Venus has rapidly disappeared from the evening sky, where it was shining brightly over 4 months. On June 3, the planet is in the lower conjunction, i.e., exactly between the Earth and the Sun, and it is not observable in the first half of June. However, it moves rapidly to the west of Sun (as seen in our sky) in the second half of June, and will become the bright Morning Star. At the end of June, it rises about 2 hours before the sunrise. On June 19 morning, there is a tight conjuction with the Moon and there are places on Earth, where the Moon will eclipse Venus. Check your local astronomical sources for information about this spectacular event!

Summer Solstice

The summer solstice will be on June 20 at 21:44 UT. On the northern hemisphere, the astronomical summer begins and the Sun culminates at its highest elevation at noon. The day is the longest one while the night is the shortest one.