Seven sisters rise for Matariki
Sun
June 21 brings the Winter Solstice, with the Sun furthest north of the equator and at its lowest elevation for the year.
Moon
Last Quarter is on June 7, followed by New Moon on June 14. First Quarter is on June 20, with Full Moon falling on June 28.
Planets
Mercury moves into the evening sky after June 6. By the end of the month the planet will be reasonably bright and visible low in the north west.
To Mercury’s right is Venus which acts as a guide to Mercury’s location.
Venus sets around 8.30pm and appears as a brilliant object in the north west. The crescent Moon will be close to Venus on June 16.
Mars rises in the early evening. On June 3, the red planet and the Moon appear very near each other.
Jupiter is well positioned in the night sky and is nearly overhead by midnight. The Moon is within 7 degrees of Jupiter on June 23 and 24.
Saturn is at opposition on June 27, rising as the Sun sets. The next evening, the ringed planet appears nearby the Moon.
Stars and constellations
The first appearance in the dawn sky of the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, marks Matariki, recognised by many as the start of the Ma¯ ori new year.
June also brings the winter sky, with the Milky Way stretching from east to west and passing almost through the zenith.
The Southern Cross is at its highest point for the year. Canopus is low in the southwest, while Achernar is directly south, barely above the horizon.
Towards the west, the last of the summer stars are setting.
The eastern sky contains the two great winter constellations – Scorpius and Sagittarius.
Two stars stand out in the north. The higher of the two is Spica. Lower down is Arcturus, principal star of Bootes.
– Prepared for The Taranaki Daily News by Tom Whelan, Cape Egmont Observatory.