‘Core season,’ as the pros at NASA have dubbed it, is officially upon us.
While the ‘core’ of the Milky Way galaxy is visible in the night sky across the Northern Hemisphere almost all summer long, experts have long recognized June as the ultimate time of year for stargazers.
Preston Dyches, messaging strategist at NASA, confirms this astronomical phenomenon in the June release of his monthly video series. The Milky Way core “is best observed from dark sky locations far from bright city lights, and appears as a faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south,” he informed viewers.
The best news? Viewers in these prime locations don’t need high-tech telescopes or even binoculars to stargaze this summer, though a closer view is often preferable for serious skygazers.
The monumental sights spread across the cosmos this summer include several major constellations, ultra-bright stars, and seldom-seen planets.
Remarkable as this year’s full strawberry moon, visible on June 10 and early June 11, is slated to be, the new moon on June 25 offers the darkest night sky — which makes for the most vibrant stars and planets.
Early risers can catch a glimpse of Venus and Saturn, which rise around 2 hours before the Sun. Venus casts low, intense light across eastern skies throughout mornings in the month of June, while Saturn can be identified by its massive size and characteristic rings alone.
Meanwhile, Mars can be spotted towards the west, and remains a striking sight around sunset, as well as the hours that follow.
Jupiter and Mercury continue to appear a bit more elusive, even in June.
Jupiter is typically visible early in June, but it is expected to return as a fixture of the morning sky in July.
In the last week of June, keep your eyes out for Mercury, which, per NASA, appears “greyish-brown to the human eye,” and will be discernible as a fixture of the evening sky, around sunset, in late June.
Other cosmic sights to behold include a slew of striking stars.
Some seasoned stargazers take up viewing challenges during June and try to catch unique formations of stars alongside different planets. Regulus, the ultra-bright white “heart” of the constellation Leo, will trail alongside Mars on June 16, while stars Castor and Pollux will form a line with Mercury on June 24, according to charts from EarthSky.
Other visible constellations include the notable ‘Summer Triangle,’ which is made up of stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair. Longtime astronomer Patrick Moore originally coined the term, and said that not even the most “myopic observer” could miss the cluster, which makes it a great starting point for beginner stargazers.
By following these three bright stars, Milky Way viewers can spot Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Boötes, and Ursa Major.
Observers on the East Coast of the United States are also expected to have especially unique skyward views as a result of recent Saharan dust movement, while stargazers closer to the northern border may have their sights obscured by drifting Canadian wildfire smoke.
