2018 Week 23: (June 3-June 9)

This week is quiet in the sky but there are a few things to check out.  The chart below highlights these events.

Date	Event
June 3	Mars 3°S of Moon
June 4	Falcon 9 Launch (SES 12 Communications Satellite) 22:29 MDT
June 5	Mercury in Superior Conjunction
June 6	Last Quarter

We can turn to the Red Planet of Mars to see it near the Moon on Sunday.  The Earth is catching up to Mars in its orbit and soon we will be right next to it late in July.  It will be the brightest it has been seen from Earth since 2003.  It will be a great time to check it out with a telescope as you may be able to see some great surface features.

The Falcon 9 launch that was scheduled last week has been moved to Monday evening.  It will be a great thing to check out before going to bed that night.  Mercury will be in superior conjunction with the Sun which means it will be at the same right ascension as the Sun on the opposite side in its orbit compared to Earth.

Later in the week the Moon will be at Last Quarter.  This will be a great time to find some deep-sky objects in the early evening as the Moon will not be polluting the sky with its light.

Last Quarter

The Summer Triangle is making its way into our sky as it comes up earlier every evening.  Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila will be overhead as we approach the Summer Solstice!

If you like staying up a little later in the evening you should have a chance to see Saturn make its way across the southern sky.  A quick view through a telescope will showcase the amazing rings!

The weather is forecast to have average temperatures and clear skies!  Let's hope that stays true!  The concern now will be bugs; be sure not to use your bug spray around any optical equipment!