Planet watchers will see Jupiter and Venus pass each other during a close conjunction in the western sky on the nights of June 8 and 9. The two brightest planets will sit above the western horizon just after sunset over those two nights, giving observers a short window to catch them together.
Jupiter and Venus over the west
Jupiter and Venus are the main draw, but Mercury will also be above the western horizon just after sunset throughout June. Jupiter will appear farther to the west each evening, while Venus and Mercury will be higher above the horizon, shifting the group’s shape from night to night.
That makes the first half of June the best stretch for anyone who wants to compare the three planets in the same part of the sky. The close approach of Jupiter and Venus on June 8 and June 9 is the most precise moment in that run.
June’s Moon phases
The Moon adds another layer to the month’s skywatching. A Waning Gibbous Moon starts June, the Last Quarter Moon comes on June 8, and the New Moon arrives early on June 15, one of the closest supermoons of the year. A thin Waxing Crescent Moon may follow after sunset that day.
The First Quarter Moon comes on June 21, and the Full Strawberry Moon rises on the night of June 29-30. June is also a month when warmer weather and shortening nights can make it easier to stay outside long enough to catch each stage.
Saturn and Mars before sunrise
Not every sighting is in the evening. Saturn and Mars will be just above the eastern horizon before sunrise every morning throughout June, giving early risers a separate planet watch from the dusk display. June 1 already showed Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury above the western horizon just after sunset, so the month opens with five planets visible at different times of day.
For observers, the practical move is simple: look west after sunset on June 8 and June 9 for Jupiter and Venus, then keep watching as Mercury stays in the same evening stretch and the Moon moves through its phases. The month’s sky changes quickly, and the closest pairing comes first.
