The stargazers are blessed this June, for 5 celestial phenomena are set to light up the skies. (Star)dust off your telescopes, for this month will see the visibility of five planets, strawberry moon, meteor shower, and more.
If you thought last month’s Lunar Eclipse was a blast, just wait and see what’s in store for June. The month’s series of stellar events will kick off with the Strawberry Moon on June 14.
The June full moon gained its title from Native Americans due to it coinciding with the strawberry harvest. Other traditional names include the Honey moon and the Rose moon, for similar reasons such as roses blossoming at this time of year, and honey ripening.
According to Inverse the moon will reach its peak size bright and early the morning of June 14 at approximately 6:52 am. For future reference, the next supermoons will take place on July 13 and August 11.
On June 16, Earth inhabitants will be able to get a better glimpse of Mercury. Typically, the planet orbits nearer toward the sun than Earth. On June 16, it will reach the point of greatest western elongation, and appear most bright, as it moves away from the sun.
Following which, a truly spectacular phenomenon is set to be the cosmic event of the season. Starting on June 24, we’ll be able to witness the alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn for an entire month.
Lastly, the June Bootids Meteor Shower will close out the month, gracing the skies on June 27. While the shower is kind of hit or miss, stargazers should at least get a smattering of hundreds or so striking meteors per hour.