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In the evening, the sky turns to its summer phase by revealing some prominent stars and asterisms that will dominate the summer sky. Looking towards the eastern horizon after 9PM, you can locate three of the brightest stars - Vega, Deneb and Altair - that form the shape of a right-angled triangle, known as the "Great Summer Triangle". Vega is the brightest of all these stars in the constellation of Lyra, the Harp. Deneb is the alpha star in the constellation of Cygnus, the Swan - which holds its own asterism as the 'Northern Cross' - and it looks like one. The southern tip of the triangle is Altair, which belongs to the constellation of Aquila the Eagle, the mythological bird of Zeus.
On a clear, dark night, you might notice something special about the Summer Triangle. The fuzzy band of stars running through it is part of our galaxy, the Milky Way, a collection of billions of stars, including our own Sun. For a real treat, look at this area with binoculars. You'll see thousands of stars. You can't fail to be amazed by the beauty of the summer sky.
The Summer Triangle will be in the sky for several months. Watch it move across the sky as summer changes into autumn. To the west of the Summer Triangle, you can identify another interesting constellation ? Hercules. From a dark location use your binoculars to view two brilliant star clusters in Hercules (M13 and M92).
And finally, we have the summer solstice (the longest day) on 21 June, when the sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky signalling the arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere.
It's time to start preparing for the big eclipse next month, (22 July 2009), when we will have a chance to view the total eclipse of the Sun. Those folks who would like to know more about the eclipse and get prepared for the big event, visit: http://www.eclipse-glasses.com/
June Highlights:
Mercury is at its greatest elongation westwards from the Sun on 13 June. But it's rising less than an hour before the Sun and we are unlikely to see this planet at all, this month. Venus is rising an hour or two before the Sun, and we should be able to see the brilliant 'Morning Star' low in the east at dawn. On the morning of 19 June, the waning Moon will appear close to Venus.
Mars appears very close to Venus in the sky this month, so both planets will fit into the same field of view in a pair of binoculars. But the Red Planet is far further away at present, so it looks much fainter, just like a dim yellowish dot.
Jupiter is rising in the south-east around midnight, and it's well up in the southern sky at dawn. If you can find the 'Summer Triangle', you will find Jupiter far below Deneb, the upper left-hand star in the Triangle. Early on the morning of June 13 & 14, waning Moon will be seen close to Jupiter.
Saturn, in Leo, is well to the left of the bright star Regulus in the western sky at dusk, and doesn't set until well after midnight. Saturn appears brighter than Regulus, and it shines with a steady, untwinkling light. On the evening of 27 June, crescent Moon will appear just below Saturn.
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