The Sun, Moon, and planets move in front of the zodiac, the "pathway of animals." The only inanimate member of the zodiac is Libra, the scales of justice. Libra arcs across the southern sky this evening. Its four main stars form a lopsided square.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
June 4: Libra
June 5: Moon and Spica
Spica is the bright star quite close to the left or lower left of the Moon at nightfall. The Moon will slide closer to Virgo's leading light during the night. They will set in the wee hours of the morning.
June 6: Hydra
Hydra, the water snake, is low in the southwestern quadrant of the sky at nightfall. One of its treasures is the binary system V Hydra. Its main star is old and puffed up. It expels gas into space, which the second star grabs and shoots out like cannonballs.
June 7: Vega
Vega, one of the brighter stars in the northern sky, stands low in the east-northeast at nightfall and climbs high overhead later on. A disk of dust surrounds the star. It may be the debris from collisions between asteroids or even planets.
June 8: Vanishing Rings
The planet Saturn is in the southeast at dawn, and looks like a bright star. We're viewing its rings almost edge-on, so there's not much to see even through large telescopes. But the view will improve over the coming months.
June 9: Moon and Antares
The star Antares, the bright heart of Scorpius, stands close to the Moon at nightfall. The Moon will move closer to it during the night, overpowering the star's light and making Antares look washed out.
June 10: Short-Night Moon
The full Moon of June has many names, including Flower, Strawberry, and Honey Moon. But it's also known as the Short-Night Moon. That's because it's in view for less time than any other full Moon of the year.