June 9: Venus and Jupiter Conjunction
Venus and Jupiter will appear so closely together in the sky, they'll be separated by the same distance as your little finger held out at arm's length. These are two of the brightest planets in the night sky, and their close approach from May into June will be an amazing sight to behold. The Venus-Jupiter conjunction is one of those celestial events that isn't restricted to a single evening's viewing, and you can watch the two planets close together in the sky in the weeks and days approaching June 9.
Image courtesy of JPL
June 21: Summer Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka summer solstice) occurs when the Sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky. This marks the astronomical start of summer in the northern half of the globe. This solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. On the day of the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year. Solstice comes from the Latin words sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”). Due to Earth’s tilted axis, the Sun doesn’t rise and set at the same locations on the horizon each morning and evening; its rise and set positions move northward or southward in the sky as Earth travels around the Sun through the year. Also, the Sun’s track in the sky becomes higher or lower throughout the year.
The June solstice is significant because the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky at this time, at which point the Sun’s path does not change for a brief period of time. After the solstice, the Sun appears to reverse course and head back in the opposite direction. The motion referred to here is the apparent path of the Sun when one views its position in the sky at the same time each day, for example, at local noon. Over the year, its path forms a sort of flattened figure eight, called an analemma. Of course, the Sun itself is not moving (unless you consider its orbit around the Milky Way galaxy); instead, this change in position in the sky that we on Earth notice is caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis as it orbits the Sun, as well as Earth’s elliptical, rather than circular, orbit.
Images courtesy of NASA
June 29: Full Strawberry Moon
Typically, the last Full Moon of spring or the first of summer has traditionally been called the Strawberry Moon. While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance. This “Strawberry Moon” name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. Alternative European names for this Moon include the Honey Moon and the Mead Moon. June was traditionally the month of marriage and is even named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Following marriage comes the “honeymoon,” which may be tied to this alternative Moon name!
Image courtesy of Old Farmer's Almanac
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