Breakdown: Why June is a great month to look up

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) -There will be so many things to see this month in the June nights sky. The month starts with the Arietids Meteor Shower, June 7-8th. This meteor shower could produce over 60 shooting stars an hour, the Arietids. Although one of the best meteor showers of the year, the meteor shower usually peaks during the daylight hours making it hard for them to be seen. However yo may be able to see a few before sunrise in the mornings on June 7 and 8th.

June 10th Jupiter will be visible and will remain visible for most of the month. In addition, on June 10th the planet’s iconic Great Red Spot will be easy to spot and the spot will be visible on several evenings throughout the month. Jupiter will rise just after nightfall and be visible all evening, you will need a telescope to view.

On June 14th the year’s earliest sunrise will occur at 5:31 am.

June 14 -The full moon for June is known as the Strawberry Moon, and it will also be a supermoon. This means the moon reaches its closest point in its orbit around the Earth, called perigee, creating a “supermoon” on June 14th. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This moon has also been known as the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon. There will be two more supermoons for 2022.

June 16 - The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 23.2 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

On June21st at 10:31 a.m. CST, the Northern Hemisphere will experience its greatest tilt towards the sun and enjoy both its shortest night and longest day of the year. In the U.S., this means a sunrise around 5:46 a.m. and a sunset near 8:41 p.m. The official start to summer, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the event also marks the longest night of the year and start of winter for the Southern Hemisphere.

The end of June on the 27th brings the return of the Bootids meteor shower, happens every year and it can be seen during the evening hours. This meteor shower is usually a weak one and produces as little as two to three shooting stars per hour. They may be worth a look up because in some years past, they’ve filled the sky with streaks of light.

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