Stargazing Calendar for June 2025
June 2025 is shaping up to be a great month for stargazing enthusiasts. From planetary conjunctions to meteor showers, June offers plenty for anyone interested in astronomy. Here’s what to watch for:
List of Meteor Showers in June 2025
- Antihelion Source: Start on December 10; multiple peaks; end September 10.
- τ-Herculids: Start on May 25; peak on May 31; end on June 4.
- Daytime Arietids: Start on May 14; peak on June 7; end on June 24.
- June Bootids: Start on June 22; peak on June 27; end on July 2.
We also have a complete list of meteor showers for the entire year of 2025 here.
List of Planetary Conjunctions in June 2025
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mars in Leo on June 1.
- Conjunction of Venus and Eris in Pisces and Cetus on June 4.
- Close approach of the Moon, Saturn and Neptune in Pisces on June 19.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Pisces on June 19.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Venus in Aries on June 22.
- Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades in Taurus on June 23.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury in Cancer on June 27.
- Conjunction of Saturn and Neptune in Pisces on June 29.
- Conjunction of the Moon and Mars in Leo on June 30.
June 1: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars
The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 1°23′ of each other.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 1°16′ from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Leo. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude of -11.4, while Mars will be at magnitude 1.3. The Moon will be waxing crescent (37%) at 5 days old.
June 4: Conjunction of Venus and Eris
Venus and dwarf planet Eris (minor planet designation 136199 Eris) will reach conjunction passing within 8°50′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Venus will be at apparent magnitude -4.3 in the constellation of Pisces and Eris at magnitude 18.7 in the constellation of Cetus. The Moon will be 8 days old waxing gibbous at 71%.
June 7: Daytime Arietid meteor shower peak
The Daytime Arietids are a medium-sized meteor shower with an average of 50 meteors per hour (ZHR) during the peak if conditions are ideal.
Some meteors may also be spotted between May 14 and Jun 24, enriching your stargazing this late spring of 2025. They will radiate from the constellation of Aries at the speed of 38 km/s on average. The Moon will be 11 days old waxing gibbous at 89%.
June 16: Butterfly cluster at its highest point in the sky
The Butterfly cluster (also known as Messier 6, M6, and NGC 6405) is an open star cluster located in the constellation of Scorpius. It was named this way because of a vague resemblance to a butterfly.
At apparent magnitude 4.2, M6 is very tricky to make out with the naked eye unless the conditions are near perfect. However it is easily visible with binoculars or a small telescope. The Moon will be 20 days old waning gibbous at 64%, so it will be interfering somewhat with stargazing this middle of June 2025.
June 19: Close approach of the Moon, Saturn and Neptune
The Moon, Saturn and Neptune will make a close approach (appulse) passing within 2°58′ of each other.
The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -11.9, Saturn at magnitude 0.8, and Neptune at magnitude 7.9, all in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Venus and Eris on June 4.) The Moon will be a 23 days old waning crescent at 41%.
June 19: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn
The Moon and Saturn will reach conjunction passing within 3°23′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -11.8 and Saturn at magnitude 0.8 both in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Venus and Eris on June 4.) The Moon will be a 23 days old waning crescent at 40%.
June 20: The Ptolemy cluster at its highest point in the sky
The Ptolemy cluster (also known as Messier 7, M7, or NGC 6475) is an open star cluster located in the constellation of Scorpius. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Butterfly cluster at its highest point in the sky on June 16.) As this cluster is visible to the naked eye, it was known since antiquity and was first recorded by Greek-Roman astronomer Ptolemy in 130 AD. (See featured image at the top.)
At apparent magnitude 3.3, the Ptolemy cluster is visible to the naked eye, but only with ideal conditions. Use binoculars or a small telescope for better viewing. The Moon will be a 24 days old waning crescent at 21%.
June 21: June solstice
The June solstice will occur at 02:42 UTC. It will be the longest day and beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and the shortest day and beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere.
June 22: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus
The Moon and Venus will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 7°10′ of each other.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Aries. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the Daytime Arietid meteor shower peak on June 7.) The Moon will be a 26 days old, very thin waning crescent at 9%. Despite this, the Moon will still be at apparent magnitude of -10.5, while Venus will be at magnitude -4.2.
June 22: The Lagoon Nebula at its highest point in the sky
The Lagoon Nebula (also known as Messier 8, M8, or NGC 6523) in the constellation of Sagittarius is a giant interstellar cloud classified as an emission nebula and includes an H II region.
At apparent magnitude 5.8, the Lagoon Nebula is easily visible with binoculars or a small telescope. The Moon will be 16 days old at full moon.
June 23: Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades
The Moon and the Pleiades star cluster (M45) will make a close approach or appulse. This will happen in the constellation of Taurus.
You can observe this astronomical event with the naked eye because the Moon will be at apparent magnitude -9.9 and M45 at 1.3. The Moon will be 27 days old, meaning it will be a waning crescent at 4%.
June 26: Jupiter at apogee
Jupiter will reach apogee (most distant from Earth) because it will be at the exact point opposite to Earth, on the other side of the Solar System. It will reach a maximum distance of 6.16 AU from Earth and will be located in the constellation of Gemini. The Moon won’t be interfering with stargazing this late June 2025 as it will be 1 day old, meaning it will be a waxing crescent at 3%.
June 27: Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury
The Moon and Mercury will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 2°50′ of each other.
The two celestial bodies will meet in the constellation of Cancer. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -9.3 for and Mercury at 0.1. The Moon will be a 2 days old, very thin waxing crescent at 2%.
June 27: June Bootid meteor shower peak
The June Bootids will peak this June 2025 with a variable zenithal hourly rate if stargazing conditions are optimal.
Some meteors may also be spotted between June 22 and July 2. They will radiate from the constellation of Boötes at the low speed of 18 km/s on average. The meteors from this shower originate from comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke.
June 29: Conjunction of Saturn and Neptune
Saturn and Neptune will reach conjunction passing within 59′ of each other while sharing the same right ascension.
Saturn will be at apparent magnitude 0.8 and Neptune at magnitude 7.9 both in the constellation of Pisces. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of Venus and Eris on June 4.) The Moon will be a 4 days old waxing crescent at 22%.
You will need a telescope to view this conjunction because Neptune is not visible to the naked eye.
June 30: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars
The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 12′ of each other.
Around the same time, the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 11.1 arcminutes from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension. In western Peru, Ecuador, and western Colombia this distance will be so close as to lead to a lunar occultation of Mars, meaning the Moon will pass in front of Mars thereby hiding it from view temporarily.
Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Leo. The Moon will be at apparent magnitude of -11.0, while Mars will be at magnitude 1.5. The Moon will be waxing crescent (28%) at 5 days old.
Moon Phases in June 2025
As you know, the Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies and astronomical events in the night sky. So to help you with stargazing, here’s a calendar of the phases of Moon for this month of June 2025:
Positions of the Planets in June 2025
- Mercury: The closest planet to the Sun can be seen at dawn and dusk travelling across the constellation of Taurus, Gemini, and then Cancer. This planet, being the closest to the Sun, will appear to move quickly in the night sky and its position will change in the following weeks.
- Venus: The sister planet can be seen travelling across the constellation of Pisces and then Aries. Just like Mercury, Venus can only be seen at dawn and dusk.
- Mars: The red planet can be seen in the constellation of Leo.
- Jupiter: The gas giant is visible in the constellation of Taurus. Jupiter can easily be spotted with the naked eye, even in highly illuminated cities.
- Saturn: The ringed giant can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Pisces.
- Uranus: The ice giant can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with the use of a telescope.
- Neptune: The blue giant requires a telescope pointed in the constellation of Pisces in order to be seen.
Positions of Dwarf Planets and Large Asteroids in June 2025
- Ceres: The asteroid belt’s lone dwarf planet can be seen in the constellation of Cetus with the help of a telescope.
- Vesta: This large asteroid can be seen in the constellation of Virgo with a telescope.
- Pallas: The asteroid can be observed with a telescope in the constellation of Delphinus.
- Hygiea: The fourth largest asteroid can be found with a telescope in the constellation of Taurus.
- Pluto: This distant dwarf planet can be found in the constellation of Capricornus with the help of a large telescope.
Major astronomical events next month – July 2025
- July 4: Neptune enters retrograde motion
- July 10: July Pegasid meteor shower peak
- July 13: Saturn enters retrograde motion
- July 25: Dwarf planet Pluto at opposition
- July 28: Piscis Austrinid meteor shower peak
- July 30: Southern δ-Aquariid meteor shower peak
- July 30: α-Capricornid meteor shower peak
Conclusion
June 2025 is packed with exciting stargazing events, from planetary conjunctions to meteor showers and star clusters. Whether you’re observing with the naked eye or a telescope, June promises memorable views. Don’t miss the chance to deepen your appreciation for astronomy under the night sky.
To ensure you don’t miss out on any celestial happenings, sign up for our newsletter to receive stargazing calendars and more updates. Keep your telescopes ready and clear your calendar for these cosmic highlights!
Sources:
- Planetary ephemerides produced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
- International Meteor Organization
See also:
- Previous month’s calendar: Stargazing Calendar for May 2025
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Paul Tomaszewski
Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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