Topline
Despite hosting the shortest nights of the year for skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere, June brings one of the year’s finest months for casual stargazing, with bright planets and delicate crescent moons dominating the post-sunset hour. The highlight is a dazzling conjunction of Venus and Jupiter low in the west after sunset, joined briefly by Mercury. There’s also a valuable dark-sky window around the month’s New Moon, the arrival of the summer solstice and the rising of the Strawberry Moon late in the month. Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing in June 2026.
Timeline
Venus reaches its highest point in the evening sky for the year. For some locations, it stands around 30 degrees above the horizon at sunset. Venus, Jupiter and Mercury parade together low in the post-sunset twilight sky for most of June.
Venus and Jupiter will form a striking conjunction low in the west after sunset, appearing unusually close together.
A 5%-lit waning crescent moon will rise an hour before sunrise in the east-northeast near the Pleiades (M45) open cluster of glittering stars.
A New Supermoon — the biggest of the year — will herald a short, but valuable dark-sky window.
Mercury reaches its greatest elongation — the farthest it gets from the sun — making it briefly visible after sunset.
After sunset in the west, a 5%-lit waxing crescent moon will be positioned between Jupiter and Mercury, with Venus shining above.
A 12%-lit waxing crescent moon will shine just after sunset very close to Venus and cross in front of the Beehive Cluster (M44), an open cluster of stars. Look west.
At 4:24 a.m. EDT, it’s the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day and the shortest night of the year, and the beginning of astronomical summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite applies, and winter begins.
June’s full Strawberry Moon reaches its peak at 7:57 p.m. EDT, rising in the southeast at sunset.
Catching The Conjunction
June opens with one of the year’s most beautiful planetary encounters. About 30-45 minutes after sunset, look low to the west-northwest to see dazzling Venus and Jupiter together in twilight. The two planets will appear closest on June 9, when they sit just 1.5 degrees apart, though they can be seen on any clear night between June 9 and 11. Mercury will be briefly visible beneath the pair in bright twilight.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.
