SkyEye

The Calendar

The Solar System

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for 'wanderer'. Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars. Dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies, including comets, are not so constrained, often moving far above or below the ecliptic.

Sun Taurus → Gemini

Mercury Aries → Taurus → Gemini

The closest planet to the Sun descends below the eastern horizon as it races towards conjunction on 21 June. It reappears late in the month in the west at sunset.

Venus Pisces → Aries → Taurus

The morning star is still best seen from the southern hemisphere, even though it is descending slightly towards the horizon. It continues to climb higher in the dawn sky for observers in the north. Greatest elongation west occurs on 3 June.

Mars Taurus → Gemini

The red planet is very low in the west at sunset, drawing ever nearer to the Sun as it approaches conjunction next month.

Jupiter Virgo

Jupiter sets around midnight so look for it in the west as darkness falls.

Saturn Ophiuchus

Because it is at opposition on 15 June, Saturn is visible all night.

Uranus Pisces

This green-coloured ice giant is now well away from the Sun. It rises before midnight for southern hemisphere observers, and midnight or later for those in northern temperate latitudes.

Neptune Aquarius

A small telescope is necessary to view the most distant planet in the solar system. At west quadrature on the fourth day of the month, Neptune rises around midnight. Weather permitting, southern parts of South America will be able to observe the Moon occult this planet on 16 June.