The summer Milky Way overhead and through the Summer Triangle stars in July, looking up through … More
The moon will vanish from the sky on Wednesday, June 25, leaving stargazers with a dark sky ideal for finding some of summer’s most spectacular stars and constellations.
The new moon phase, when our natural satellite is roughly between the Earth and the sun, arrives at 5:33 a.m. EDT. Lost in the sun’s glare for the best part of two days, it means a completely dark night that’s ideal for astronomy — if the skies are clear. Here’s what to find in the night sky tonight.
Where And When To Look
Head out around 10 p.m. local time and look southeast. That’s where the Summer Triangle rises — Vega, Deneb and Altair. Vega is the highest, with Deneb below it to the left and Altair to the lower right. By midnight, the entire asterism is high overhead. It’s a sure-fire sign that summer has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere — and it will be visible until October.
While the Summer Triangle can be seen from anywhere, you’ll need dark country skies to see the Milky Way. You can find it in the Summer Triangle itself, flowing diagonally from Deneb through Altair to the southern horizon. Beneath Altair, on the southern horizon, are the two classic constellations of summer, Sagittarius and Scorpius.
What You’ll See
The absence of moonlight will make the Summer Triangle stars easy to find, and if you’re in a location away from light pollution, the Milky Way should be easy to find, too — though do allow your eyes to become dark-adapted. That takes about 20 minutes.
Stretching through the Summer Triangle, the Milky Way is a river of starlight. Inside the Summer Triangle is the Cygnus Star Cloud, a dense patch teeming with stars. Below Altair is the Milky Way’s center. If you have binoculars, drag them over this region of the night sky, and you’ll be blown away by how many starfields and nebulas there are.
To the north, keep watch for noctilucent clouds. These shimmering ice-crystal clouds float near the edge of space and often appear after sunset in June and July.
Observing Tips
For skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere, the window for darkness varies. Those below 49 degrees north can expect true astronomical darkness, which is defined by the sun dipping more than 18 degrees below the horizon. Above that latitude, twilight lingers deep into the night, but you’ll easily find the Summer Triangle.
Binoculars will enhance everything: star colors, the starfields of the Milky Way and subtle constellations — such as Delphinus, the Dolphin, and Sagitta, the Arrow, close to Altair.
In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 … More
What’s Next In The Night Sky
In the evenings after the new moon, a young crescent moon will emerge and be visible in a slightly higher position each night. Look west after dark on Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27, to see the crescent moon move past the tiny planet Mercury. On Saturday, June 28, the crescent moon will approach bright star Regulus and Mars before, on Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars will be in close conjunction, less than a degree apart in the night sky.
For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
