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    Home / Editor's Pick /

    June astronomy outlook - Solstice kicks off the summer season

08:00
4 June 2026

June astronomy outlook
Solstice kicks off the summer season

Silhouette of a person sitting beside a telescope on a tripod under a clear night sky filled with dense stars and the bright band of the Milky Way.

June isn't the most exciting month for the skies above, but it does bring the summer solstice to mark the start of astronomical summer.

EventDate
New moonJune 15th
Mercury peak visibilityJune 15th
Summer solsticeJune 21st
Full moonJune 29th

A New Moon on the 15th offers the clearest view of the stars, free from the moonlight, if our weather around that time is also pleasant.

This year it also coincides with Mercury at its greatest eastern elongation, the best time to spot the smallest planet in the Solar System looking west after sunset.

Following this, the summer solstice officially marks the beginning of astronomical summer on June 21st for the Northern Hemisphere, and astronomical winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

This is the longest day of the year, and with the North Pole tilted towards the sun, the day can be up to nine hours longer than the shortest day of the year on the winter solstice.

Finally, on the 29th, June's full moon, rises to bring the month to a close. Like all full moons, its name originates with Native Americans and was dubbed the Strawberry Moon for the ripening of strawberries which takes place at this time across the US.

When the time comes, be sure to check the WeatherRadar to find the best spot to see our lunar companion in full glow.

Ryan Hathaway
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