05/06/2026
WHAT'S ON IN THE SKY THIS JUNE →
9-10/06 Venus is paired closely to Jupiter after sunset
15/06 Full Moon
17/06 Crescent Moon close to Jupiter after sunset
18/06 Waxing Moon close to Venus after sunset
21/06 Winter Solstice - the longest night of the year in Australia
25/06 Mercury and Jupiter paired close after sunset
29/06 Full Moon close to apogee ('Micromoon') and Mars is near the Pleiades in the dawn sky
PLANETS 🪐
Jupiter and Venus will be within a handspan of each other for most of June, with Mercury joining their “dance” in the low western sky around the 9th of June. The three planets will sit between the constellations of Gemini and Cancer for all of June. Mars and Saturn are still visible in the dawn sky before sunrise, with Mars within a handspan of the waning crescent Moon on the 13th of June.
MILKY WAY 🌌
The “Milky Way Season” is here! Best viewing is during our Dark Sky Window. Catch the Milky Way rising shortly after sunset, it will gradually arc higher across the sky, making the Galactic core increasingly easy to see! For most of June, the Milky Way is diagonal in the eastern sky at the beginning of the night, vertical arc across the zenith during the middle of the night, and low over the western horizon at the end of the night.
JUNE WINTER SOLSTICE 🧣
An Aussie astronomer's favourite night of the year, because it’s the longest! The June solstice is the moment each year when the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, standing directly over the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N). In 2026, it occurs on 21 June at 6:24pm AEST.
MICROMOON 🌔
Occurs when the Full or New Moon is near its farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit, a position called apogee (typically > 405,000 km from Earth). At this distance, the Moon appears (around 6%-7%) smaller and dimmer than an average full Moon. Does this affect tides? Yes! High and low tides are about 5 cm smaller than usual.
VISIBLE ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS AT SUNSET ♎️
Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius
📷 Tourism Australia,
https://www.bluemountainsstargazing.com.au/stargazing-tours
