June’s full moon, also often called the Strawberry Moon, rises tonight (June 3) and can flaunt its glory throughout the weekend.
Skywatchers in Recent York City will see the moon fully illuminated by the sun tonight at 11:42 p.m. ET (0342 GMT on June 4). It is going to be visible all night within the constellation Scorpius and set at 5:24 a.m. local time, in response to In The Sky.
The moon, which can rise at 8:21 p.m. local time only a minute shy of sunset, shall be visible about 10 degrees above the southeast horizon. Soon after, Mars and Venus will show themselves within the western sky as well. Venus, currently over 67 million miles (109 million kilometers) away from Earth, shall be a brilliant white speck about 22 degrees above the horizon while the Red Planet, having just swept through the starry Beehive Cluster, may be seen not far off at 28 degrees above the horizon.
Related: Full moon calendar 2023: When to see the subsequent full moon
Antares, a red supergiant star on its deathbed about 604 light-years from Earth and the brightest member of the Scorpius constellation, can even be seen barely to the moon’s upper right. Jupiter will share the night sky as well, but will rise much later; it will possibly be spotted an hour before local sunrise about 11 degrees high within the southeast.
Apart from having fun with the total moon tonight, skywatchers can turn their telescopes towards Venus to see the hellish planet at dichotomy, meaning half of its visible disk shall be dark. A filter will help bring out the darkened portion of the planet’s face.
The moon’s brilliant profile will make it difficult to discover the craters and mountains on its surface using binoculars or a small telescope, although special filters may help to extend contrast. After June 3, the moon will begin rising an hour later each night while also waning (meaning its illuminated portion is growing smaller) and can finally be lost within the sun’s glare with the brand new moon on June 18.
If you happen to are hoping to catch a take a look at the total moon or every other sights within the night sky, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a fantastic place to start out.
And also you’re trying to take your individual photos of the moon or night sky typically, try our guide on methods to photograph the moon, in addition to our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: