The bright waxing gibbous moon will glow near fiery Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion, after sunset this evening, June 2, 2023. The following evening finds the full moon close to Antares. You can watch them move across the sky all night. Chart by John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
In June, Venus, the brightest planet, will continue to dominate the western sky after sunset and move away from the Twin Stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor. Venus will reach greatest elongation – 45 degrees – from the sun on June 4th. Mars, nearby, continues to fade in brightness as we race away from it in our orbit around the sun. Don’t miss Mars buzzing through the Beehive star cluster on June 1 and 2, 2023. Then, Venus buzzes by the Beehive on the evenings of June 12 and 13. Later in the month, the moon will sweep past these 2 inner planets on June 21 and 22. The white arrow shows Venus’ position along the ecliptic – or path of the sun, moon and planets (shown as a green line on our chart) – for the month of June, with the red arrow showing Mars’ path. Note how Venus and Mars get closer together over the month. On June 1st, the planets appear 10 degrees apart, and by month’s end they appear less than 4 degrees apart. Both planets are moving toward Regulus in Leo the Lion. Venus and Mars will set around midnight (your local time) at the beginning of June and around 11 p.m. at month’s end. Check out our video about Venus and Mars. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June mornings: Jupiter rises before the sun
Jupiter will be the brightest point of light in the morning sky and will be near the moon on June 14. Observing the giant planet will be easier at the end of the month, when Jupiter is about 30 degrees above the eastern horizon as twilight ends. Jupiter will rise about 4 a.m. your local time on June 1. And then it’ll rise about 2 a.m. at the end of June. Jupiter is in the dim constellation of Aries the Ram. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June mornings: Mercury before sunrise
Mercury will be coming off its recent morning greatest elongation and will continue to brighten through mid-month. However, it’s best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere since it remains low on the horizon for northern viewers. Start looking for it about 30-40 minutes before sunrise. Also, you might find it very low on the horizon near a thin crescent moon on June 16. It’ll disappear from the morning sky later in June on its way to superior conjunction with the sun on July 1. It will lie near the lovely Pleiades star cluster in the bright morning twilight. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June mornings: Saturn rising after midnight
Saturn shines in the sky before dawn below the Water Jar asterism in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. It’ll rise at about 1:30 a.m. your local time in early June and before midnight at month’s end. It’ll be high in the morning sky. Watch for the moon to visit Saturn on June 9 and 10. Saturn will continue to brighten as it heads toward opposition in August. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
The instant of full moon is at 3:42 UTC on June 4, 2023 (10:42 p.m. CDT on June 3, 2023)
June 5 and 6 mornings: Moon near the Teapot
The waning gibbous moon will pass through the center of the Teapot – an asterism in Sagittarius the Archer – on the mornings of June 5 and 6, 2023. You can catch the moon and the Teapot around midnight until dawn. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
Moon reaches perigee at 23 UTC (6 p.m. CDT) on June 6, 2023, when it’s 226,714 miles (364,861 km) away
On the mornings of June 9 and 10, 2023, look for the waning gibbous – and last quarter – moon near Saturn. You can catch the moon and Saturn for several hours before dawn. Saturn is getting easier to see in the morning sky. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June 12 and 13 evenings: Venus buzzes by the Beehive
Brilliant Venus – our sky’s brightest planet – will take on the roll of queen bee when it passes by the Beehive star cluster on June 12 and 13, 2023. The Twin Stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, are nearby. Look west shortly after darkness falls for this interesting and beautiful sight. Read more about the Venus buzzes by the Beehive. Chart by John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June 13 and 14 mornings: Moon near Jupiter
The waning crescent moon will hang low in the east near Jupiter before dawn on June 13 and 14, 2023. Jupiter will be the brightest light in the morning sky, other than the moon. The moon will be closest to the giant planet on the morning of June 14. Also, look for the beautiful glow of earthshine on the thin crescent moon. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June 15 and 16 mornings: Moon near Mercury
The thin waning crescent moon, complete with earthshine, will lie close to Mercury on the mornings of June 15 and 16, 2023. The bright planet Jupiter will be higher in the morning sky. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
The instant of new moon is at 4:37 UTC on June 18, 2023 (11:37 p.m. CDT on June 17, 2023)
June 19 and 20 evenings: Moon near Venus, the twin stars and Mars
On the evenings of June 19 and 20, 2023, the waxing crescent moon will float near the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Even though the twin stars are easy to pick out as 2 bright stars very close together, you’ll notice they don’t look exactly alike. Castor shines with a bright white light. And Pollux is a bit brighter than Castor and appears golden in color. Also nearby will be brilliant Venus and the steady red light of Mars. The beautiful glow on the unlit portion of the moon is earthshine. They’ll be visible for a few hours after sunset. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June 21 evening: Moon, planets and stars on the solstice
June 21, 2023, is a notable date because it marks the June solstice, the 1st day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere and 1st day of winter for the Southern Hemisphere. 2023’s solstice will feature the waxing crescent moon glowing next to brilliant Venus with the much, much dimmer Mars nearby. Above them will be the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion. And below them will be the twin stars, Castor and Pollux, in the constellation Gemini. Look low in the west shortly after sunset for this beautiful scene in the darkening twilight. Chart by John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
Moon reaches apogee at 19 UTC (2 p.m. CDT) on June 22, 2023, when it’s 251,894 miles (405,385 km) away
June 22 and 23 evenings: Moon near Venus, Mars and the Sickle
The waxing crescent moon will glow near the planets Venus and Mars, plus the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion, on the evenings of June 22 and 23, 2023. It will also lie near the dim star pattern – or asterism – known as the Sickle. You can catch the moon and the Sickle until around midnight. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June 25 and 26 evenings: Moon near Spring Triangle
On the evenings of June 25 and 26, 2023, the waxing crescent – and 1st quarter – moon will lie along the southern edge of the star pattern known as the Spring Triangle. The Spring Triangle is an asterism made of the bright stars Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman, Spica in Virgo the Maiden and Denebola in Leo the Lion at its corners. The moon and the Spring Triangle will be visible through about an hour after midnight. Note: sometimes the Spring Triangle is listed with Regulus instead of Denebola as the 3rd star. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
The instant of 1st quarter moon is at 7:50 UTC (2:50 a.m. CDT) on June 26, 2023
June 27 evening: Moon near Spica
On June 27, 2023, the bright waxing gibbous moon will glow near Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. The moon and Spica will set a few hours after midnight. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
June 29 and 30 evenings: Moon near Antares and Scorpius
The bright waxing gibbous moon will glow near fiery Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion, after sunset on June 29 and 30, 2023. You can catch the moon and Scorpius until a few hours before dawn. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
Visible planets (evening, June 2023, in text)
Venus, the brightest planet, will dazzle in the western sky after sunset and will reach greatest elongation – 45 degrees – from the sun on June 4th. Enjoy Venus while you can, because it’ll be ending its dominance of the evening sky in late July. Mars continues to fade in brightness (and size) in the western evening sky because we are racing away from it in our orbit around the sun. Yet, it’s still one of the brightest “stars” in the evening sky. Don’t miss Mars buzzing through the Beehive star cluster on June 1 and 2. Use binoculars to see a ruby among a sprinkling of diamond-like stars as it crosses in front of the Beehive star cluster. Of course, it’ll be stunning in a telescope. Then, Venus buzzes by the Beehive on the evenings of June 12 and 13. You’ll definitely need to use binoculars for this pairing, because Venus is so much brighter than even the brightest of the stars in the Beehive. Later in June, the moon will sweep past these two inner planets on the 21st and 22nd. Also this month, keep an eye on Venus as it catches up with Mars as the month goes by. On June 1st, Venus and Mars will be about 10 degrees apart, and they’ll be less than four degrees apart (the with of 8 full moons) at the end of the month. They won’t be close enough to be called a conjunction, but it’ll be fun to watch them as the month passes. Venus and Mars will set around midnight (your local time) at the beginning of June and around 11 p.m. at month’s end.
Visible planets (morning, June 2023, in text)
Jupiter will be the brightest point in the morning sky and will be near the moon on June 14. Observing the giant planet will be easier at the end of the month, when Jupiter is about 30 degrees above the eastern horizon as twilight ends. Jupiter will rise about 4 a.m. your local time on June 1. And then it’ll rise about 2 a.m. at the end of June. Mercury will be coming off its recent morning greatest elongation and will continue to brighten through mid-month. However, it’s best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere since it remains low on the horizon for northern viewers. Start looking for it about 30-40 minutes before sunrise. Also, you might find it very low on the horizon near a thin crescent moon on June 16. It’ll disappear from the morning sky later in June on its way to superior conjunction with the sun on July 1. Saturn will rise about 1:30 a.m. your local time in early June and rise before midnight at month’s end. So, it’ll be high in the morning sky. Watch for the moon to visit Saturn on June 9 and 10. Saturn will reach opposition in August and is already a good target for a telescope.
Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky
The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2023 in his Astronomical Calendar. Guy explains:
The sky dome map for each month shows what is above the horizon at a convenient (your local) evening time for latitude 40 degrees north. If you travel north, stars at the south edge of the map disappear; at the north edge others spend more time above the horizon.
You can see the relation between the map and sky by holding the map over your face. The central point of the map is the overhead point, or zenith. Orient the map so the direction you are facing (east, west, north or south) is at the bottom.
Stars are shown down to magnitude 5.5, so you might require a dark sky to see some of the dimmer stars shown or the Milky Way. Also, the map only shows the more conspicuous constellations.
Planets are shown on the 16th of the month in the mid-evening sky, with symbols sized for brightness like the stars. All planets are visible to the unaided eye except Neptune. Furthermore, planets in the sky after midnight and in the twilight sky near sunset or sunrise will not appear on the sky dome maps.
The moon is shown (exaggerated eight times in size) at 0 UTC on the days when it is at first quarter and full phases. This is 7 p.m EST on the previous day. It is also in its geocentric position, that is, without parallax; as seen from northern latitudes, it is slightly farther south.
Major meteor showers are indicated by bursts of lines pointing out from their radiant. But some are not shown, because their radiants are not in view at map time.
The ecliptic is drawn as a thick curve. It marks the plane in which the Earth revolves around the sun.
The celestial equator curves from the east point to the west point of each map. At declination 0, it is the only line of declination shown. Ticks along it are at the 24 hours of right ascension.
View larger. | Here is the sky dome view for June 2023. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell. Used with permission.
Heliocentric solar system planets
The sun-centered charts come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2023 here, in his Astronomical Calendar. Guy Ottewell explains:
In these views from ecliptic north, arrows (thinner when south of the ecliptic plane) are the paths of the four inner planets. Dots along the rest of the orbits are five days apart (and are black for the part of its course that a planet has trodden since the beginning of the year). Also, semicircles show the sunlit side of the new and full moon (vastly exaggerated in size and distance). Additionally, pairs of lines point outward to the more remote planets.
Phenomena such as perihelia (represented by ticks) and conjunctions (represented by lines between planets) are at dates that can be found in the Astronomical Calendar. Likewise, gray covers the half of the universe below the horizon around 10 p.m. at mid-month (as seen from the equator). The zodiacal constellations are in directions from the Earth at mid-month (not from the sun).
Amateur astronomers are buzzing! Guy Ottewell is offering his beloved Astronomical Calendar for 2023 in both electronic and printed versions.Guy Ottewell’s Zodiac Wavy Chart is a 2-by-3 foot (0.6 by 0.9 meter) poster displaying the movements of the sun, moon and planets throughout the year. You can purchase it here. Image via Guy Ottewell. Used with permission.
Bottom line: Visible planets in June: Venus and Mars are in the evening sky. Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury are in the morning sky. And there will be a lovely gathering of the moon, 2 planets and bright stars on the June solstice.
Marcy Curran has enjoyed star gazing since she was a young girl going on family camping trips under the dark skies of Wyoming. She bought her first telescope in time to see Halley’s comet in 1985 on its way in to another close encounter with the sun. Her passion for astronomy eventually led her to being a co-founder of a local astronomical society. Marcy remains active in her astronomy club including being the editor of a monthly newsletter. She also contributes a monthly article to her local newspaper focusing on the stars, planets and objects currently visible in the nighttime sky. Marcy taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years. Marcy retired in December 2021 and is delighted to join Earthsky.org as an editor of night sky articles. Her hobbies - other than star gazing - include reading, knitting, jigsaw puzzles and photography. Marcy and her husband live in Wyoming.
“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations when he was 6 years old. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 20,000 members. He's earned the title of Master Observer and has authored the celestial observing guides Exploring the Starry Realm and Carpe Lunam. John also writes a monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.
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