The June Sky

Paul Curtin


Although the main section of Draco has been in our sights for several months, it is only in June that we concentrate on the Dragon. Draco's head is composed of a quadrilateral sometimes called the "Lozenge." From the Lozenge, follow the string of stars northeast and then due west towards Ursa Major. Although it boasts many double stars, Draco is rather lacking in deep sky objects. One notable exception is the planetary nebula NGC 6543, due north of the Lozenge. See Kepple for finder charts.

Returning to the Big Dipper, we follow the arc of the handle east and south to the bright star Arcturus in Bootes. Neither Bootes, with its distinct kite shape, nor Corona Borealis, a small cup shaped constellation due east of Bootes, have deep sky objects for small telescopes. Scan both constellations for double stars.

East of Corona is Hercules, with its characteristic asterism known as the Keystone. M13, a bright globular cluster, can be found one quarter of the way between the western stars of the Keystone. M92 is another globular located almost halfway between the Keystone and the Lozenge in Draco.

South of Hercules is the head of Serpens, Serpens Caput with M5, a spectacular globular cluster near the border with Virgo. Western Ophiuchus has M10 and M12, both impressive globular clusters, and M107 a much smaller and fainter globular to the south.

Libra, though important as the sometime host of planets, is otherwise devoid of interesting objects for small and medium size telescopes.

South of Libra we find Lupus, the Wolf. Lupus has star clouds, planetary nebulae and some open clusters of note.

Centaurus wraps around Lupus in the south with bright Rigil-Kentaurus blazing in the sheen of the Milky Way. Beta Centauri, known as Hadar, is the other bright star in this region.

The Milky Way ends south of Circinus and Triangulum Australe, and the region near the south celestial pole seems dark and uninviting.

The Planets in June

Mercury is a early evening object.

Venus is still very bright in the evening sky.

Mars is in the morning sky.

Vesta is a naked-eye object. See Kelly page 195 for ephemerides.

Jupiter is a very bright object visible throughout the night.

Saturn is well placed for viewing in the western sky after dusk.

Bibliography

Burnham, Robert Jr., Burnham's Celestial Handbook, New York: Dover, 1978.

Kelly, P. (ed.), Observers Handbook 2007, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.

Kepple, G. R., Sanner, G. W., The Night Sky Observers Guide, Richmond, Virginia: Willman-Bell, 1999.

Tirion, W., Rappaport, B., Remaklus, W., Uranometria Deep Sky Atlas, Richmond, Virginia: Willman-Bell, 2000.

Webb, T. W., Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, New York: Dover, 1962.