Astronomy Events for June 2021

Get ready for these astronomy events in the night sky this June! As the Milky Way core rises earlier in the night, June is a great opportunity for stargazers of all levels to get out and observe or image our home galaxy.

If you have a DSLR and have been thinking about getting into astrophotography, we have some excellent blogsand video tutorials that include tips from the pros for your success. For those wanting to take your Milky Way photos to the next level, check out our ultimate guide on the Star Adventurer Pro and optimize your photography gear.

Alright, let’s get into this month’s astronomy events!

June 2021 Moon Phases and More

June 10 – New Moon

New moon nights are perfect for observing the night sky and astrophotography! This New Moon will take place at 3 a.m. PST. Even if you are out the night before, June 9, the almost new Moon will still provide dark enough skies for seeing and imaging. Plan ahead and check the weather if you are traveling to a dark sky site.

June 10 – Annular Solar Eclipse

This annular solar eclipse will be mainly visible to western Greenland and Canada. The northeastern United States, Europe, and most of Russia will see a partial eclipse. If you are not sure what it is, an annular solar eclipse is when there is a ring of light around the darkened Moon. This happens because the Moon is too far away from the Earth to cover the Sun.

June 21 – June Solstice

This is the first day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the summer solstice. For the Southern Hemisphere, June 21 is the first day of winter, also known as the winter solstice.

June 24 – Strawberry Moon, final supermoon of 2021!

This full Moon was known to some early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it was a symbol for the season of ripening fruit. It’s also the month when strawberries are at their best in their harvesting season. This Moon has also been known as the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon.

Northern Hemisphere Constellations in June

Boötes

• NGC 5466, a globular cluster that forms a roughly equilateral triangle with the stars Izar and Arcturus.
• NGC 5248, a compact intermediate spiral.
• NGC 5676, an unbarred spiral galaxy.
• The Boötes Dwarf Galaxy, a dwarf spheroidal galaxy 197 thousand light years away, appears slightly fainter.

Hercules

• M13, the Hercules Cluster, a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars.
• M92, a globular cluster of stars.
• NGC 6210, a planetary nebula.
• NGC 6229, a globular cluster.

Southern Hemisphere Constellations in June

Libra

• NGC 5897, a globular cluster with an apparent magnitude of 8.52
• NGC 5792 and NGC 5885, barred spiral galaxies.
• NGC 5890, unbarred lenticular galaxy.

Lupus

• NGC 5927, NGC 5824, and NGC 5986 bright globular clusters.
• NGC 5882 and IC 4406, planetary nebulae also known as the Retina Nebula.
• NGC 5822 and NGC 5749, open clusters.
• SN 1006, the remnant of the historic supernova observed in 1006. SN 1006 was the brightest supernova ever recorded.

If you capture any of these events or deep sky objects, don't forget to use the hashtag #OPTeam for a chance to be featured!

Clear skies! 🔭✨