Balmy nights of brilliant sights

Astronomer Will Gater picks out the celestial targets that will keep both observers and imagers enchanted on clear, June nights

- Will Gater

When I was getting into astronomy it was always said that, as summer arrives, the W lighter nights make observing sessions rather pointless. What I eventually learnt is that while chasing the dimmest faint fuzzies at the eyepiece might be out of the question in June, the warm evenings can still be a time when treasured celestial memories are made. There's certainly no reason to leave the telescope or binoculars gathering dust this month, with some fine star clusters, noctilucent clouds, planetary alignments and more to be seen. In this article we've picked out a selection of phenomena that will hopefully provide some satisfying observing and imaging challenges during the nights of June. And while our list is tailored slightly more to the interests of an intermediate-level astronomer with photographic kit to hand, there are some great beginner targets scattered among them.

Will Gater is an astronomy journalist and science presenter. His latest book, The Mysteries of the Universe, is published by DK

The Beehive Cluster

We begin our journey around June's night skies with a goodbye of sorts, looking at a spring target that's sinking into the west now that summer's here. On the night of 1 June you'll find the beautiful Beehive Cluster, M44, dropping low on the west-northwest horizon as midnight approaches. It's the perfect observing target for 10x50 binoculars, or similar, which will show the numerous glittering stars of the open cluster scattered around a patch of sky that's roughly a degree across. A few nights later, on 4 June, the crescent Moon lies about 6.5° from the Beehive Cluster. With earthshine - when light scattered off Earth lights up the Moon's night side - showing up at this lunar phase, the arrangement could make for some striking nightscape-style astrophotography compositions.

ASTROPHOTO HIGHLIGHT