“What’s up in the sky?” is a recurring feature and publishes on the first of every month. You can find it on WTOP’s The Space Place. Email Greg your space questions and he might answer them in the next edition.
Welcome to WTOP’s monthly feature: “What’s up in the sky?” Each month it will feature the best the sky has to offer stargazers regarding the moon, planets and stars. Space-related events that might interest you taking place in the D.C. area will be included as well.
Let’s get to the sky for June 2025!
Must-see sky sights for June
During June, Venus continues to be the brilliant “Morning Star” in the East before dawn, albeit dimming just a bit as it moves away from Earth. The moon has some close pairings with stars and planets, and summer is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere; winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The daytime peak of the Arietid meteor shower takes place this month.
Star of the Month:
In June, in the northeast sky after it gets dark, the beautiful and bright blue-white star Vega easily catches our eyes and attention. And well it should, as Vega is the fifth brightest star in the entire night sky.
Last month, you were introduced to Arcturus, the fourth brightest star in the night sky. It blazes high overhead in June and offers a nice color contrast to compare to Vega.
Vega is also part of the “Summer Triangle” along with the stars Altair and Deneb. The Milky Way runs through the Summer Triangle, coming from the southeast sky and is a glorious sight from a dark sky site.
Highlight of the Month:
As we go through June, each night in the southeast around midnight, our galaxy, the Milky Way, rises. You’ll need a dark sky site to see the Milky Way and a clear view of the horizon.
As June begins, the Milky Way rises around midnight and climbs higher in the sky until dawn.
In late June, more of our galaxy is visible at midnight and actually forms an arch in the sky from the southeast to the northeast. You can take a photo of the Milky Way with a smartphone or camera by taking time exposures and, for best results, using a tripod. As we get into the summer months, the view will become even more spectacular and earlier in the night.
June 1: At dusk in the West, you have a very close conjunction of the star Regulus and the moon with Mars to their lower left. Mars will move closer to Regulus as the month goes on.
June 6: The star Spica and the bright moon form a nice conjunction.
June 7: It’s the daytime peak of the Arietid meteor shower. You can try to see them visually, but they are very difficult to see. Try to listen to them via radar instead. As I am writing this, I am listening for meteors on my laptop. You hear the coolest sounds — very X-Files — including quick “pings” that are very likely meteors hitting our atmosphere. You will find it very addictive to listen to.
June 8: Jupiter and Mercury pair up in the west-northwest as it gets dark. You will need a clear horizon to see them and binoculars will be a big help in spotting them. Jupiter will be the brighter of the two, and below Mercury. Try taking a smartphone/camera photo.
June 10: The red supergiant star Antares and the almost-full moon rise in the southeast after dark.
June 11: The full Strawberry Moon rises at sunset in the southeast. The moon will likely display some lovely yellow-orange color as humidity is more prevalent this time of year. Definitely a smartphone/camera possibility.
June 17: If you have been watching Mars move across the sky since the first of the month, Mars and Spica form a very close pair in the West. The color contrast between the star and the planet should show up nicely in a smartphone/camera picture.
June 19: Saturn and the waning gibbous moon form a conjunction with the planet Neptune. You would need a telescope to see Neptune.
June 20: Summer solstice occurs at 10:42 p.m. EDT. Happy Summer!
June 22: The waning crescent moon in the east-southeast sky before dawn is above the beautiful and bright Venus. Look for earthshine on the moon. Try taking a smartphone/camera picture.
June 23: The waning crescent moon is in the east-southeast before dawn, just below the Pleiades. Look for earthshine on the moon.
June 26: The waxing crescent moon in the west at dusk is above Mercury. This is a good time to see Mercury. Binoculars will help. Look for earthshine on the moon.
June 29: The waxing crescent moon is in the west at dusk, very close to Mars. Look for earthshine on the moon.
The moon
June 3: First quarter
June 11: Full strawberry moon
June 18: Last quarter
June 25: New moon
Planets
Mercury is low on the western horizon at dusk.
Venus blazes above the eastern horizon before dawn — you can’t miss it.
Mars is in the western sky as it gets dark.
Jupiter becomes lost in twilight glow early in the month and is in the sun’s glare later in the month.
Saturn is visible in the eastern sky rising around midnight. You’ll have a great view with a telescope as the rings cast a thin line across the planet.
Uranus is emerging in the eastern sky after being in the sun’s glare.
Neptune is in the eastern sky, rising around midnight and near Saturn. You need a telescope to observe the planet.
Pluto is way out there in the solar system and requires taking images through a telescope spaced days apart to hunt it down.
DC-area events
Shenandoah National Park (SNP)
- In June, I will be presenting my “Let’s Talk About Space” at Shenandoah National Park’s Big Meadows and Skyland. The park is an excellent dark sky site and the park’s rangers conduct a variety of activities for you to enjoy.
- NOVAC General Meeting, George Mason University. Check the calendar for the date and other June astronomy events.
- National Capital Astronomers, 7 p.m. June 10: Rob Zellem (GSFC/RST), The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
- The Analemma Society is pausing operations and work with Fairfax County Park Authority regarding Friday Night Public Viewing Sessions at Turner Farm in Great Falls, Virginia, temporarily. Check their calendar for other astronomy activities in June.
Smithsonian Air and Space in D.C. and Chantilly has loads of astronomy stuff in June.
You can check here and here for astronomy clubs that are outside the D.C. area.
Bonus!
Download NASA’s 2025 Science calendar that features out-of-this-world pictures and information.
The Planetary Society’s Space Events 2025 Calendar is another resource for tracking space missions.
Use this useful tool to create a custom star chart for your location to help you find your way around the stars.
You can also send in any space-related questions to my email address. Suggestions about this feature are also welcome.
Follow Greg Redfern on Facebook, Bluesky and his daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration
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