June 2023 Night Sky

I have mentioned the lengthening days multiple times, but the longest is yet to come. The good news (for astronomers anyway) is that after the Summer Solstice on June 21st, the days will start to shorten. Interestingly, at our latitude here in Northern Virginia, the sunset times will remain constant and even increase by a minute as the shortening of the day takes place via a later sunrise, not an earlier sunset. The latest solar noon is what matters and that isn’t until July.

Sunrise, sunset and solar noon for Alexandria, VA

Other events we like to talk about here are meteor showers, normally I complain about them always being obscured by a full moon. This time we don’t have that problem because the Arietids Meteor Shower will peak when the moon has set, perfect right? The only problem is that this shower peaks when the sun is up! Fear not though, according this this old NASA article you can listen to the shower if you have radio equipment: June’s Invisible Meteors

Finally, Jupiter and Saturn are rising earlier and earlier and by the end of the month you will find Saturn rising 20 minutes before midnight and Jupiter rising around 2:20 am. Venus continues to be visible and very bright (Venus is the third brightest object in our sky after the Sun and Moon).

Jeff’s Corner Observing Reports

Jupiter Eclipse Events on Friday and Saturday Nights
  Jun 10   5:16 AM       Io Eclipse Start         (S  -5  J 101  21)

The Sun
  Jun 11  will rise at 5:43 AM, will set at 8:33 PM

The Moon
  Jun  3  Full Moon
  Jun 10  Last Quarter
  Jun 18  New Moon
  Jun 26  First Quarter

Events
  Jun  4  Venus is at greatest eastern elongation (Venus about 38
            degrees above the horizon at sunset from Apr 25 to May 22)
  Jun 21  Summer solstice (from Espenak)

The Planets
                       June 11          
              rises  transits      sets    
  Mercury   4:39 AM  11:44 AM   6:50 PM
  Venus     9:08 AM   4:24 PM  11:38 PM
  Mars      9:47 AM   4:52 PM  11:56 PM
  Jupiter   3:22 AM  10:05 AM   4:47 PM
  Saturn    1:00 AM   6:28 AM  11:56 AM

            mag   diam  notes for Jun 11
           ----  -----  ----------------
  Mercury  -0.4   6.2"             
  Venus    -4.3  25.7"  W, 34*   
  Mars      1.6   4.5"  W, 38* 
  Jupiter  -2.2  35.0"                                
  Saturn    0.9  17.4"                                
  (* degrees elevation at sunset taking into account atmospheric refraction)
  (mag = apparent magnitude, diam = apparent equatorial angular diameter)

Title Image Credit & Copyright: Max Alexander, STFC, SPL via NASA.