June 2026 Night Sky Guide — Every Must-See Event This Month

This June see a beautiful conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, watch a comet as it brightens, and maybe just maybe watch a Nova. This is Tsula’s monthly astronomical calendar. Every clear night this June keep your eye on the constellation Corona Borealis to see if the recurrent nova, T Coronae, also known as the Blaze Star, goes nova. Astronomers are predicting that the Blaze star will go nova around June 26. Corona Borealis only has one bright star, magnitude 2, Alphecca but when the Blaze Star finally does go nova it will probably be as bright as Alphecca and Corona Borealis will appear to suddenly have two magnitude 2 stars. Corona Borealis is high in the eastern sky just after dark. It looks like a crown and the Blaze Star is just 5 and half degrees east of Alphecca, though you can’t see T Coronae with your naked eye unless it does suddenly go nova. So, keep your eye on this pretty constellation for a potential surprise new star. You can follow Comet 10p/Tempel 2. This comet returns every 5.4 years and will be at its brightest in late July when it may reach magnitude 7, but you can start following in June from about midnight to dawn and watch it as it continues to brighten. In June it will probably be around magnitude 8 or 9, maybe bright enough to see in binoculars first in the Aqula Capricornus border and later in the month in Aquarius. At the end of the month you might catch this comet just one degree from the planetary nebula, NGC 7009, also known as the Saturn Nebula. That should make for a nice photo. In a six to eight inch telescope you might be able to see the comet’s short west pointing dust tail. On June 7, Venus will be just 4.5 ° lower left of Pollux, Jupiter 2.25° to its left and Mercury lower right just above the horizon. June 9, there will be the highly anticipated conjunction at dusk with Venus just 1.5° upper right of Jupiter and joining the scene Mercury will be 10° above the horizon. This will be a beautiful conjunction of Jupiter and Venus to watch and also a chance to nab Mercury. June 13, at dawn before the sun rises and washes it out, look low east north east to see the waning crescent moon,,just 4.5% illuminated, occult one or more of the bright stars in the Pleiades, in the western part of the US the moon will occult Electra magnitude 3.7, around 4:17 am PDT. If you live in San Francisco, the moon and the cluster will only be a few degrees above the horizon when Electra disappears at 4:20 am. And if you have a telescope this should be a gorgeous sight as the stars Asterope, magnitude 5.8, Taygeta, Celeano and Electra will form a starry circle just beyond the dark limb of the moon and Alcyone magnitude 2.9 and Merope magnitude 4.2 will be just below the limb. If you’re in the area don’t miss this beautiful encounter of the moon and the Pleiades. But even if you don’t live in San Francisco, you can still see the razor thin crescent moon just to the right of the Pleiades. Binoculars will help a lot to see what’s sure to be a beautiful sight. Mars will be farther to the right. June 14 at mid northern latitudes will be the earliest sunrise. June 15, will be a great opportunity to see Mercury when it will be 25° east of the sun and visible to the naked eye just after sunset. June 16 at dusk look west northwest to see the one day old Moon with Jupiter four and a half degrees upper left, Pollux 4 degrees upper right and Mercury 3° lower right and adding to the scene Venus will be farther to the upper left. June 17, the 11% illuminated crescent moon will occult Venus during the day for the contiguous US, Canada, Northern Mexico, the Carribbean, and northeastern South America. On the east coast of the United States it will begin around 3:30 pm, in the Midwest around 2-2:30 pm, 12:30 t0 1 mountain time, and 11:30 to 11:45 am on the west coast of the US. At dusk the same day the crescent moon will occult numerous 6th to 8th magnitude stars in M44, the Beehive Cluster for the east coast and midwestern United States. Farther west the Moon will be just 1/2 degree from M44 and on the west coast of the US, 1° from the Beehive Cluster. June 18, there will be a favorable lunar libration for you to see Humboldt crater. June 19, Venus will be just .7° above the Beehive Cluster, and Venus, the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury will make a 17° long string. June 21 will be the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere at precisely 4:25 am eastern daylight time. June 24: Jupiter and Mercury will be just a little under 4° apart. Mercury will be only magnitude 1.4 and just 5° above the west northwest horizon 45 minutes after sunset but since you can fit it within the same binocular field of view with Jupiter that should make it easier to spot Mercury June 27 will be the latest sunset this year in the northern hemisphere June is your last chance to see the great spot or any more transits for a while. Something huge coming in August. Dark skies forever.