Don’t miss June’s night sky! You can spot stunning stars, planets, and constellations; here’s how you can see them

If you’ve been meaning to spend more time under the stars, June is a great month to start. As summer warms up the Northern Hemisphere, the skies open up with some of the most breathtaking views of planets, stars, and constellations of the entire year.

From the glowing crescent of Venus rising before dawn to Mercury making a rare, visible appearance after sunset, the cosmic lineup is both diverse and dazzling. Add in Saturn's slow return and Mars’ colorful tango with Regulus, and you’ve got skywatching opportunities nearly every night.Whether you're a telescope owner, a casual stargazer, or someone simply looking up after dinner, there's something worth spotting nearly every day this month.

Here's your detailed guide to what's visible in June — and when and how to catch the best celestial events.

Catch the Milky Way rising in June’s night sky

Let’s start with the starry showstopper — the Milky Way. If you're in a dark-sky area away from city lights, look toward the southern sky around midnight. The dense, star-packed core of our galaxy begins to rise earlier each night. From mid to late June, it stretches across the sky like a cosmic river. No telescope needed — just your eyes and clear skies.

Mercury and the Moon share the spotlight on June 26

Mercury doesn’t usually stick around long enough to get noticed, but this month it’s putting on a decent show. Starting around mid-June, look low on the northwest horizon about an hour after sunset. It’ll be just left of the twin stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux, toward the final week of the month.

June mornings belong to Venus — don’t miss it

If you’re an early riser, Venus is your reward. Rising nearly 2.5 hours before the sun, it starts the month shining about 10 degrees above the eastern horizon at dawn, climbing to 20 degrees by the end of June.

That’s enough altitude to spot it easily even from city locations.Though it reaches greatest western elongation on June 1 — appearing 46 degrees west of the sun — it won’t appear highest in the sky until August for those at mid-northern latitudes. Through a telescope, Venus transitions from a “half phase” early in the month to a more rounded gibbous shape by June 30.

Mars and Regulus form a celestial duo this month

Over in the west just after sunset, Mars — still glowing a soft orange — meets up with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo.

Regulus has a bluish-white hue, and their close pairing creates a subtle but stunning color contrast in the sky.

Spot Saturn’s tilted rings in June’s quiet hours

Saturn is slowly rising higher in the early morning hours and becomes visible after 2:30 a.m. at the start of June, rising around 12:30 a.m. by the end of the month. It sits in the constellation Pisces and shines with a pale yellow-white glow, easy to distinguish from the surrounding stars.Although the rings aren’t as prominent this year — tilted just 3.5 degrees toward Earth — you can still glimpse them through a telescope before dawn.

Keep an eye out for Fomalhaut, the “lonely star” in the southern sky, which closely matches Saturn’s brightness and follows it upward.

Don’t look for Jupiter — It’s hiding behind the Sun

If you’re wondering where Jupiter went — it’s taking a break. The gas giant is in conjunction with the sun on June 24, meaning it’s too close to the solar glare to be visible. It’s shifting from the evening sky to a morning object, but won’t be visible until sometime in early July when it begins to rise before dawn again.

June’s constellation crossover: From Gemini to Scorpius

June is a transition month in the sky — with spring constellations like Leo and Gemini slowly giving way to summer patterns like Scorpius and Sagittarius.

June’s sky calendar: Mars, Mercury and Moon put on a show

What you need (and don’t) to explore June’s celestial sights

You don’t need fancy equipment to enjoy June’s sky — but a little prep goes a long way.

Bonus tip: To estimate distances in the sky, hold your fist at arm’s length — it covers roughly 10 degrees of sky.