JUNE 2022 SKY EVENTS TO SEE IN THE UAE

Missed the #MilkyWay? Look up in the sky early in the morning this June–it’s going to be high up there after midnight, along with your favorite planets that will begin embellishing the night skies by mid-June. We’re also experiencing the longest day of the year this month!

Observing planets and deep-sky objects on clear, dark nights will be more effective using a telescope or binoculars—like the smart telescope Stellina, an easy-to-use observation station that can be operated using smartphones and tablets. Al Sadeem Astronomy is the only distributor of this smart telescope here in the Middle East. You can place an order or inquiry here.

Check out the sky events for June 2022 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to help you plan your stargazing experience this month. All dates and times are in UAE Local Time (UTC+4).

June 16 – Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation

Planet Mercury is first in line in a series of planets that will grace the sky this June. After becoming a spectacle at dusk, the smallest planet of the Solar System will appear in the dawn sky, just a few minutes before sunrise.

The planet at its greatest western elongation on June 16, which means it’s the best time to view it. The best part is it will remain at this peak altitude for the next two weeks.

Observers who are into planetary imaging may have to rise up very early to catch Mercury–the planet rises at 4:15 A.M. reaching its peak altitude of 17° above the horizon, and will be visible until an hour later at 5:15 A.M.

Position of the planet Mercury in the sky during its greatest western elongation, as rendered by Stellarium.

June 18 – Moon-Saturn Conjunction

Planet Saturn is the first bright object in the sky to pair up with the Moon on June 18. The Moon, which will be in its Waning Gibbous phase, will pair up with Saturn around midnight until dawn. They won’t be able to be seen in the same field-of-view but the sight is pretty much something to look forward to.

Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn at dawn of June 18, 2022, as rendered by Stellarium.

June 21 – Moon-Jupiter Conjunction

After Saturn, the Moon in its Last Quarter phase meets with planet Jupiter in the sky on June 21–same day of the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Catch it at 12:45 A.M. until it fades from view as the dawn breaks 5:16 A.M.

Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter at dawn of June 21, 2022, as rendered by Stellarium.

June 21 – June Solstice

The June solstice on June 21—the longest day of the year—will signal the beginning of summer and longer days for the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, where most of the countries in the world including the United Arab Emirates are situated.

According to the National Geographic, a solstice happens when the Earth is tilted towards the Sun that a big part of it “experiences the maximum intensity of the sun’s rays and has the most hours of sunlight.” On the other side of the Earth though, there will be longer nights for the folks who live in the Southern Hemisphere. Our planet’s axial tilt and elliptical orbit around the Sun both contribute significantly to the occurrences of seasons.

It is important to note that the day of summer solstice will NOT be the hottest day of the year because of various atmospheric factors.

Sunrises for June 2022 are expected to occur between 5:33 A.M. and 5:37 A.M., and sunsets between 7:07 P.M. and 7:15 P.M.

How the Sun moves during the summer period. In the image, the Sun rises north of east and sets north of west (Graphics Credit: Stellarium)

June 23 – Moon-Mars Appulse

As the Moon prepares to temporarily exit the night sky, it will continue to rendezvous with more planets. On June 23, the Moon will pair up with Mars in the night sky, roughly at 3° to the south-southwest of the Red Planet.

The pair will rise at 1:30 in the morning, until the dawn breaks around 5:16 A.M.

The appulse of the Moon and Mars at dawn of June 23, 2022, as rendered by Stellarium.

June 25 – Moon-Uranus Appulse

Here’s another interesting pairing you wouldn’t want to miss. On June 25, gas giant Uranus will pair up with the Moon in the night sky, appearing close to each other at 1.29°. This is close enough to fit within the field-of-view of a small telescope–specifically with apertures of 80mm or less–and can also be visible through a pair of binoculars. Planet Uranus will appear as a tiny light blue dot.

The pair will be visible in the dawn sky, rising at 2:35 in the morning until 5:17 A.M.

The appulse of the Moon and Uranus at dawn of June 25, 2022. Embedded is the simulated FOV of the conjunction when viewed through a 40mm eyepiece and an 80mm refractor telescope. Image rendered from Stellarium.

June 26 – Moon-Venus Appulse

Planet Venus will star the season finale of the Moon-planet pairings this month, appearing close to the thin Waning Crescent Moon at 3:35 in the morning of June 26.

The appulse of the Moon and Venus at dawn of June 26, 2022, as rendered by Stellarium.

SUNRISE AND SUNSET TIMES

June 1 05:33 ↑ 19:07 ↓

June 30 05:37 ↑ 19:15 ↓

MOON CALENDAR

June 7 – 1^st quarter

June 14 – Full Moon

June 21 – Last Quarter

June 29 – New Moon

REFERENCES

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sea and Sky: seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2022.html
Calendar of Astronomical Events. (n.d.). Retrieved from In-The-Sky.org: https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?month=6&year=2022&maxdiff=4#datesel
Sunrise and sunset times in Abu Dhabi, June 2022. (n.d.). Retrieved from timeanddate.com: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/united-arab-emirates/abu-dhabi?month=6&year=2022