Tonight, Mercury reaches “greatest elongation” , it will be the farthest from the sun as seen from the earth. After tonight, Mercury will move towards the sun’s glare. The planet is low in the west-northwest after sunset, and will be so for about another week. Mercury takes only 88 days to orbit the sun once
In the skies this week, Mars is heading towards Saturn. On June 17th the two will have a very close encounter . Currently mars is passing through the Beehive star cluster.
The summer solstice arrives this year at 13:25 BST on the 21st when the Sun reaches its most northerly point and the northern days are longest.
Jupiter, is a prominent feature this month as well as Mars and Saturn as they sink lower in our evening sky, to be joined this weekend by the planet Mercury. Venus is in the dawn skies. The Moon is at first quarter on the 4th, full on the 11th, at last quarter on the 18th and new on the 25th.