What's Up?

This page shows a brief summary of what interesting things we can see in the sky this month.  

A more detailed version of the 'What's Up' this month is available as a downloadable PDF document right at the bottom of this page. 

June brings the shortest nights of the year, sad news for the night owls among us. However, it does provide fantastic opportunities for solar viewing. Remember to NEVER look at the sun without the correct equipment and filters. If you would like more advice on solar viewing, get in touch with our members at the club or join us for the talk on the 8th of June!

The Sun

The sun is now approaching sunspot maximum. If you do not have a solar scope, watch using Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) or SDO.  

The Moon

The phases of the Moon are as follows:

• Full Moon - 4th June
• Last Quarter - 10th June
• New Moon - 18th June
• First Quarter -26th June

Visible in the morning, low down above the sunrise.

Remains brilliant in the evening rising from magnitude -4.4 to -4.7.

Moves from Cancer to Leo.

A morning object in Aries at magnitude -2.2.

Remains a morning planet in Aquarius.

Emerges from behind the sun in Aries at magnitude 5.8.

Rises around 1:00am in Pisces at magnitude 7.9.

Comets

No bright comets are forecast.

Meteors

The Tau Hercules meteors are due between 31st May and 1st June but are spoiled by the Full

Moon.

Deep Sky

With Binoculars:

• Albireo is a beautiful blue and orange double star in the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan).
• The galactic core, the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy, is visible between the constellations of Sagitarius and Scorpius. All three of these provide multiple bright targets for binocular viewing.
• M8 for example, otherwise known as the Lagoon Nebula, is visible in the constellation of Sagittarius.

With a Telescope:

• M16, known as the Eagle Nebula, is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens.
• M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, is visible in the constellation Vulpecula.

Television

The Sky at night is on Monday 12th June at 10pm. This month, the show is about the The UK Space Race. Here are all the past episodes that are available to watch, in case you missed any: BBC4 The Sky At Night

Clear Skies !