ISS Visibility Chart for the End of June

Staff Writer, DB Holmes
ISS / Space 
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 Do you like seeing the ISS? Here is a visibility chart for Phoenix, AZ this week.

Source: Heavens Above 

Skywatching Opportunities Bring Planets and Moon Rays

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

Astronomy / Stargazing
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June is a bit quiet when it comes to stargazing events. However, every night Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn can be seen as well as different modes of the Moon. In the morning hours close to dawn, Venus shines bright.

• June 13 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 04:11 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full 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 Full Rose Moon and the Full Honey Moon.
• June 21 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 10:51 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
• June 27 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 08:08 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

Source: Sea and Sky, AccuWeather, Weather Underground  

A Beautiful Night to Sit and Watch the Planets

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
Astronomy / Stargazing
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Tonight, the skies are clear for stargazing. 

In the early evening expect to see Mercury very close to the western horizon. Jupiter will set soon after as he trails Orion in the Constellation Gemini.

Mars and Saturn will dominate the sky for the rest of the evening until the waxing gibbous moon rises.

In the early morning hours, Venus will rise before the sun makes his appearance at dawn.  

8pm Skyline in Phoenix

Source: Weather Underground, AccuWeather

Mid and Late May Stargazing Events

Staff Writer, DB Holmes

Astronomy / Stargazing
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May is full of great nights for skywatching:

Phoenix at 11pm.

May 14 – Full Moon, 3:16 a.m. The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it is considered “full” for the entire day of the event, and appears full for three days. May’s full Moon with be a “supermoon,” meaning it coincides with the Moon’s perigee, or closest point to the Earth, making it larger in appearance and causing exceptionally high tides.

May 18 – Moon at perigee (its closest point to the Earth), 8 a.m.

May 21 – Last Quarter Moon, 8:59 a.m. One-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

May 25 – Mercury at greatest eastern elongation. A body in space is at elongation is when it reaches its farthest angle from the Sun, as viewed from Earth. This is the best time to view an inferior planet – one inside of the Earth’s orbit.

May 28 – New Moon, 2:40 p.m. The Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight.

Source: Farmer's Almanac, Weather Underground, 

Cloudy at First, Then Patchy with Starlight

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz 
Astronomy / Weather
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Tonight, stargazing weather will be fair. Cloudy conditions will turn patchy as the night progresses. Those stargazers who are out when the clouds only obstruct 36% of the sky later on will see Mars followed by Saturn.

For skywatchers who caught a glimpse of a shiny planet after sundown, Mercury has come from the other side of the Sun and is now setting in the West close to the horizon.

Here's the Phoenix night sky for tonight as of 8pm:

Source: Weather Underground,  Accuweather 

Stargazing with Planets and a Crescent Moon

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
Astronomy / Stargazing
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Tonight, the sky will be clear to view the coming summer sky. Orion sets early as will the waxing crescent moon.

Daily Stats: 

Moon	6:46 AM MST		8:50 PM MST
Length of Visible Light	14h 22m
Length of Day	13h 29m

The visible planets this evening will be Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn with Venus rising a little before 4am.

Visibility:

Source: Weather Underground, Accuweather