It's not been a great year for planetary observing thus far, but that's all about to change during the latter half of 2024.
On the other side of summer, we'll get to see Saturn and Jupiter at opposition, then it's Mars's turn in January 2025.
In the meantime, Mars and Jupiter are your best bet for planetary observing in June 2024.
Find out which planets are visible this year, month-by-month
Mars is mag. +1.0 at the start of June and is visible in the morning sky, 100 minutes before sunrise.
Take a look at the crescent Moon on the morning of 3 June and you'll see Mars nearby.
Both are visible together low in the east around 03:30 BST (02:30 UT).
By 30 June, Mars will begin to look a lot better, rising ahead of Jupiter, and on that date the Red Planet rises about around 02:00 BST (01:00 UT), almost three hours before the Sun.
Find out more with our guide to observing Mars in June 2024.
Here's a brief summary of what each planet is doing in the night sky in June 2024.
How to see the planets this month
Mars
- Best time to see: 30 June, 03:50 BST (02:50 UT)
- Altitude: 15°
- Location: Aries
- Direction: East
- Features: Surface markings, weather
- Recommended equipment: 150mm scope or larger
Mercury
- Best time to see: 30 June, 40 minutes after sunset
- Altitude: 3° (very low) Location: Gemini
- Direction: Northwest
Mercury is poorly placed in the morning sky at the start of June. Shining at mag. –1.0, it sits 0.5° west-southwest of mag. –1.8 Jupiter on 4 June, both rising 30 minutes before the Sun. This makes their meeting hard to see unless you can locate them in daylight.
Superior conjunction occurs on 14 June, Mercury reappearing thereafter into the evening sky. On 17 June, it lies a degree north of mag. –3.8 Venus, Mercury impressively bright at mag. –1.8. However, as they set 30 minutes after the Sun, they will be very hard to see. By 30 June, Mercury will shine at mag. –0.5 and set 70 minutes after sunset.
Venus
Venus reaches superior conjunction on 4 June when it lines up with the Sun on the opposite side of its orbit from Earth. Consequently, it cannot be seen at this time. By month’s end, mag. –3.8, Venus sets just 30 minutes after the Sun.
As with all the main planets apart from Mercury, lengthening nights and better positioning will bring the current poor viewing conditions to a rapid end in the months ahead. Venus’s reappearance into the evening sky will be a little slower, but the planet will be spectacular towards the end of 2024.
Jupiter
- Best time to see: 30 June, 04:00 BST (03:00 UT)
- Altitude: 7° (low)
- Location: Taurus
- Direction: East-northeast
Morning planet Jupiter is gradually pulling away from the Sun’s glare this month. On 1 June it rises 20 minutes before sunrise, a figure increasing to two hours by the end of June when it shines at mag. –1.8. On 4 June, Jupiter has a close encounter with mag. –1.0 Mercury, the two worlds lying 31 arcminutes apart in the morning twilight.
If you’re up for the challenge, the closest approach occurs at 11:20 BST (10:20 UT), Mercury and Jupiter separated by less than 7 arcminutes under daylight conditions but only 12° from the Sun (see page 47). A slender 2%-lit waning crescent Moon sits 6° west-northwest of Jupiter on the morning of 5 June.
Saturn
- Best time to see: 30 June, 04:00 BST (03:00 UT)
- Altitude: 26°
- Location: Aquarius
- Direction: Southeast
Short nights and a poor morning position hamper the current visibility of Saturn. Look for a waning gibbous Moon near the planet in the early hours of 27 and 28 June.
Uranus
Morning planet Uranus is lost in the dawn twilight.
Neptune
Morning planet Neptune can’t be seen under dark-sky conditions throughout June.
This guide appeared in the June 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine
