June 2026 is packed with night-sky moments for the Washington, D.C., region: Venus and Jupiter dominate the west after sunset, the Summer Triangle and Milky Way rise overnight, the summer solstice arrives at 4:25 a.m. EDT, and the full strawberry moon peaks at
By the first days of June 2026. the night sky over the Washington area is already giving stargazers a clear target: brilliant Venus and dimmer-but-still-very-bright Jupiter taking over the west after dusk. They’re moving toward and then away from each other across the month. and Mercury joins the lineup lower right and above the horizon—an orbit-driven shuffle that’s easy to watch and simple to record with a smartphone or digital camera.
WTOP’s recurring “Eyes to the Skies” feature. which publishes on the first of every month. is built for people who want something real to look up at—moon. planets. stars. and regional events that might draw you outside. For June, the emphasis is on what’s visible in the D.C. area and the specific moments worth planning around.
After dark. the Summer Constellations and the Milky Way galaxy stretch across the sky from the northeast to the southeast. climbing higher until morning twilight. If you’re looking for a single “star of the month,” Altair is the one to watch. It marks the corner of the “Summer Triangle” when it appears above the horizon about 10 p.m. EDT.
The planet show doesn’t stop at scenery. June includes a daytime occultation—Venus being covered by the moon—which means it’s not just about staying up late.
Must-see sky sights for June
Venus and Jupiter dominate the west after sunset all month, as they move toward and then away from each other. The moon will occult, or cover, Venus in the daytime.
June 1 sets the tone. At dusk in the west, brilliant Venus and dimmer Jupiter dominate the sky scene. Mercury sits lower right and above the horizon beside them. The planets’ motion in the sky comes from their orbit around the Sun. and the feature encourages viewers to keep an eye on how their positions shift night to night—taking “astropics” with a smartphone or digital camera if you want to capture the changes.
June also brings a series of recurring checks for Algol, the star tied to October in the night-sky imagination. On June 5, it heads to minimum brightness for two hours centered at 3:37 a.m. EDT, then brightens again. The routine repeats several times during the month: June 8 at 12:25 a.m. EDT, June 10 at 11:14 p.m. EDT, June 25 at 5:19 a.m. EDT, and June 28 at 12:08 a.m. EDT.
If you prefer your planet pairings closer to “right now,” June 7 and June 9 are built for you. At dusk in the west. Jupiter and Venus are very close to one another on June 7. with Pollux and Castor as the two bright stars to their right. On June 9. Jupiter and Venus are at their closest to one another again—another chance to aim your smartphone or camera toward the west.
One of the more delicate-looking targets comes mid-month. On June 16. if you have a clear view of the western horizon at dusk. look for a very slim crescent moon between lower Mercury and higher Jupiter. The feature also asks viewers to look for earthshine on the moon—an effect that can make the night-side glow faintly. June 17 brings a similar evening view: a slim crescent moon just to the upper left of Venus. using Venus as the guide and again looking for Earthshine.
But the biggest “don’t miss” moment in June is the daytime Venus occultation on June 17.
In-the-Sky.org indicates the occultation will be visible from Washington. It begins with the disappearance of Venus behind the Moon at 2:45 EDT, and the reappearance is visible at 4 p.m. EDT—both while it’s still daylight. The warning is blunt: extreme caution is necessary when pointing binoculars or telescopes at the sky when the Sun is above the horizon. because even a momentary glance at the Sun through such an instrument can cause permanent blindness. The feature notes the sun will be to the west of the Moon and Venus. meaning viewers must ensure they do not view that section of the sky. The best plan is to use a smartphone with zoom or a digital camera with a telephoto lens. with the suggestion that a telescope would work best for the disappearance and reappearance.
Still, June isn’t all about precision instruments and early warnings. June 20 is an evening “group shot” day: with a clear view of the western horizon at dusk. Venus. Jupiter. and Mercury will all be visible together. June 25 also offers a simple lineup in the west at dusk—lower Mercury and higher Jupiter close together.
The summer solstice arrives at 4:25 a.m. EDT on June 21, marking the longest daylight of the year and the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
As the month stretches on, the moon takes center stage again in the southeast. On June 27, almost full moon and the star Antares are visible in the Southeast after dark.
Then comes the full strawberry moon. The full strawberry moon occurs at 7:57 p.m. EDT on June 29. The feature tells readers to get the particulars for their location using a dedicated website.
What to watch for month-round
The moon phases listed for June are straightforward: June 8 is last quarter, June 14 is new moon, June 21 is first quarter, and June 29 is the full strawberry moon.
For planets, the feature’s map is location-minded:
Mercury is in the west at dusk at the start of June. Venus is very bright in the west. Mars is in the east before dawn. Jupiter is visible after dark and bright in the west. Saturn rises in the east around 2 a.m. Uranus is in the western sky after dark. and while it needs a telescope to best observe. it is visible in binoculars. Neptune is in the western sky after dark, and a telescope is needed to observe it. Pluto is far out in the solar system and requires taking images through a telescope. spaced days apart to hunt it down.
D.C.-area events
The feature also points readers toward in-person observing. It encourages people to join Greg Redfern at Shenandoah National Park for “Let’s Talk About Space” presentations. and says check out other sky events as well. It adds that rangers host night sky programs too, and to check them when visiting the park.
A few practical extras round out the month: a useful tool to create a custom star chart for your location. along with other astronomical tools to help you find your way around the sky. If you want to plan ahead for 2026 sky events, the feature includes a guide to help. For questions. readers are invited to send space-related inquiries to Greg’s email address. and suggestions about the feature are welcome. The feature also directs readers to follow Greg Redfern’s daily blog for the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.
June 2026 skywatch Eyes to the Skies Washington DC astronomy summer solstice 2026 Venus occultation June 17 strawberry moon June 29 Milky Way visible Summer Triangle Altair Algol
So… the strawberry moon is gonna happen at like 4 in the morning right?
I don’t get why they keep saying Venus is “dominating” like it’s taking over the sky. Is Jupiter supposed to be blurry or just “dimmer”? Either way I’ll probably forget until it’s already over.
Wait, solstice is at 4:25 a.m. but they said “after sunset” in the beginning so which is it? Also Venus occultations sounds like something that happens to your phone camera, not the actual planet.
Every time I read these skywatch things I think it means like DC is gonna have weather weirdness. Like is this connected to that “June Skywatch” thing at WTOP? Strawberry moon already peaked?? I’m in Maryland and half the time the sky is cloudy so I’m not trusting anything until I see it with my own eyes.