Night Sky Tonight: What to See This Week
Looking for what to see in the sky this week? This guide highlights the upcoming astronomical events, from Moon phases and planetary groupings to meteor showers, bright stars, and seasonal sky changes.
Some events are easy to see with the naked eye, while others require binoculars, a telescope, or a clear horizon away from city lights. Visibility also depends on your location and local time, so use the Sky Tonight app to check when and where each object will appear in your sky.
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Upcoming Astronomical Events: June 5–12, 2026
Below, you’ll find sky events arranged by date, with quick viewing tips to help you choose the best nights for stargazing. All dates are listed in GMT, so the exact calendar date may differ in your local time zone.
For simple targets like the Moon, bright planets, and first-magnitude stars, the naked eye is often enough. For fainter objects — such as star clusters, Uranus, Neptune, or lunar surface details — binoculars or a small telescope will give a much better view.
June 5: Venus near Castor; Moon in Capricornus
On June 5, bright Venus (mag –4.0) will pass near Castor (mag 1.6), one of the two famous “twin” stars of Gemini. Look low above the western horizon after sunset: nearby Pollux (mag 1.2) and Jupiter (mag –1.9) will complete a beautiful evening grouping.
On the same day, around 14:00 GMT, the Moon will appear inside a small boat- or arrow-shaped star pattern in Capricornus. At that moment, the sky will be dark across much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the western Pacific, giving observers there the best chance to see and photograph the scene.
June 7: Venus near Pollux; Daytime Arietids peak
On June 7, bright Venus (mag –4.0) will pass near Pollux (mag 1.2), the brightest star of Gemini. Look low above the western horizon after sunset; nearby Jupiter (mag –1.9) will make the evening grouping even more eye-catching.
The Daytime Arietids meteor shower also peaks on June 7, with up to 30 meteors per hour. However, it is difficult to observe because its radiant lies close to the Sun; the best chance to catch a few meteors is shortly before dawn, under a clear, dark sky.
June 8: Last Quarter Moon
On June 8, the Moon reaches its Last Quarter phase, with half of the lunar disk illuminated and the other half in shadow. Later that day, it will enter Pisces, a large but faint zodiac constellation. Around the Last Quarter phase, the Moon is best observed in the morning: shadows along the lunar terminator are long, revealing finer surface details through binoculars or a telescope.
June 9: Venus near Jupiter; Mercury at dichotomy; Moon near Neptune
On June 9, dazzling Venus (mag –4.0) will pass near Jupiter (mag –1.9), creating the day’s main naked-eye highlight. Look low above the western horizon after sunset; Mercury will also be in the same part of the sky, though much fainter and closer to the horizon. Through a telescope, Mercury will appear about half-lit, reaching the phase known as dichotomy.
The waning Moon will also pass near Neptune (mag 7.9). This will be a challenging event: Neptune is too faint for the naked eye, and the Moon’s glow may make the planet harder to spot even with binoculars or a telescope.
June 10: Moon near Saturn
On June 10, the waning Moon will pass near Saturn, making the planet easier to find in the sky. Look for the pair in the morning hours before sunrise; Saturn will appear as a steady, yellowish “star” near the Moon. The event is visible to the naked eye, but binoculars or a small telescope will give a better view of Saturn — and may even reveal its rings.
June 12: Jupiter-Venus-Mercury planet parade; Moon near Mars
On June 12, Jupiter (mag –1.9), Venus (mag –4.0), and Mercury (mag 0.6) will line up in the evening sky, low above the western horizon after sunset. Venus will be the brightest of the three, Jupiter will be easy to spot nearby, and Mercury will be the trickiest because it stays lower in the twilight glow. To find out when the trio is best visible from your location, where to look, and how to catch Mercury before it sets, read our dedicated guide to the planetary alignment in June 2026.
The Moon will also pass near Mars (mag 1.4) in the morning sky. This event will be more modest than the evening planet parade, but the Moon can help you locate Mars before sunrise.
Night Sky Tonight: Bottom Line
There is almost always something worth seeing in the night sky. Use this guide to choose the best events for tonight and the coming days, but remember that visibility depends on your location, local time, weather, and light pollution. For the most accurate view, check the exact position of each object in the Sky Tonight app before you go outside.
Want to plan beyond the dates listed here? Check the full monthly calendar of astronomical events in June 2026.
