The month of June 2024 is off to a good start with a rare alignment of planets. Astronomy enthusiasts will also be able to admire the phases of the Moon.
Will June be even more promising than May for amateur astronomers? The bar is high. Last month, the French were amazed by the Northern Lights visible all over the country. Fortunately, the calendar promises to be full, with various astronomical phenomena to admire with the naked eye – for experienced observers, go to our guide to the best telescopes instead.
Here are the astronomical events to easily observe, in June 2024.
The phases of the Moon
To observe the Moon throughout the month, a good guide is to follow its phases. This marker corresponds to the portion of the Moon illuminated by the Sun, which we can see from Earth.
- THE Thursday June 6, it’s the new moon. We cannot distinguish the star in the sky, since it is in conjunction with the Sun.
- THE Friday June 14 corresponds to the first quarter of the Moon. We can see a half-Moon, only half of which is illuminated by the Sun.
- Then, the Saturday June 22, it’s a full moon. Its entire visible side is illuminated by the Sun, because the Moon is in opposition to the Sun.
- THE Friday June 28 is marked by the last quarter Moon. The western half of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun, so it is the only part of the star visible.
Planets visible to the naked eye
Point of Venus to admire in the June 2024 sky in France. However, the planets Mars and Saturn are present from the beginning to the end of the month. Jupiter joins the observations in mid-June, followed by Mercury at the very end of the month.
The following table indicates when to observe the planets visible to the naked eye, and in which constellations to look for them.
| Mercury | March | Jupiter | Saturn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From June 1 to 2 | invisible | 4:30 a.m. – 5:40 a.m. Pisces | invisible | 3:30 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. Aquarius |
| From June 3 to 9 | invisible | 4:20 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. Pisces | invisible | 3:10 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. Aquarius |
| From June 10 to 16 | invisible | 4 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. Ram | 5:10 a.m. – 5:40 a.m. Bull | 2:40 – 5:20 Aquarius |
| From June 17 to 23 | invisible | 3:40 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. Ram | 4:50 a.m. – 5:40 a.m. Bull | 2:10 – 5:20 Aquarius |
| From June 24 to 30 | 10:10 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Gemini | 3:30 a.m. – 5:40 a.m. Ram | 4:20 a.m. – 5:40 a.m. Bull | 1h50 – 5h30 Aquarius |
Other astronomical phenomena
Here are the other phenomena not to be missed this month in the sky.
- The morning of Monday 3rd june, a notable alignment of planets is to be contemplated. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (the latter two not visible to the naked eye) are all on the same side of the Sun. They are not truly aligned in space, but seem to draw an almost straight line in our sky.
- THE Thursday June 20, it’s the summer solstice, at 10:51 p.m. precisely. There is nothing special to observe, but you should know that the solstice has an astronomical origin – and the start of summer heralds more pleasant nights of observations.
- THE Saturday June 22the full Moon peaks very low on the horizon (barely 12° seen from Paris).
- THE Thursday June 27the gibbous Moon is very close to Saturn.
- THE Saturday June 29before sunrise, you can observe a new planetary alignment, including Jupiter, Mars, the Moon and Saturn.
You now know when to go out and contemplate the skies, so as not to miss the most beautiful shows of June 2024. Good observations!
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