Educators

Astronomy Calendar


Check out what's happening in the sky!

This calendar of celestial events is frequently updated.

Midnight sun shining over a landscape.
Image: Midnight Sun by H. Robertsson.

  • May 19 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 7:55 am Alaska time. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
  • May 29 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 24.9 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
  • June 3 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 7:43 pm Alaska time. This full moon is sometimes known as the Strawberry Moon, the Rose Moon, or the Honey Moon.
  • June 4 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 45.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the bright planet in the western sky after sunset.
  • June 17 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 8:39 pm Alaska time. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
  • June 21 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 6:51 am Alaska time. The North Pole of the Earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • July 3 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 3:40 am Alaska time. This full moon is somrtimes known as the Buck Moon, the Thunder Moon, or the Hay Moon. This is also the first of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
  • July 17 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 10:33 am Alaska time. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
  • July 28, 29 - Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29. The nearly full moon will block most of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Information from Sea and Sky Astronomy Calendar.

 


More astronomy viewing resources:

Check the aurora forecast for Interior Alaska,  courtesy of the Geophysical Institute.

Use star wheels and astrolabes to find celestial bodies!

Sea and Sky has a yearly calendar to help you plan future astronomy viewings.

Check the weather on Mars, courtesy of the Curiosity rover.

 

View of the night sky with several meteors streaking through it.

Image: Perseids Meteor Shower (NASA/JPL).
 

NASA logo with the word "partner" underneath.

 

This project was funded under NASA cooperative agreement NNX16AL65A and cooperative agreement number NNH15ZDA004C. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and  do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.