* Astronomy

Tonight, Mars is in conjunction with the star Regulus, in the constellation Leo.
Look to the west after sunset.

This first full week of June, we have an opportunity to easily see with just the naked eye the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in our Shamokin sky, even if you're viewing from places doused in heavy urban light pollution. Also, as a bonus, with the help of just a modest pair of binoculars, you can also easily find Uranus. Neptune is the only planet not easily seen this week. If you're like me and still count Pluto as a planet, it's also beyond the reach of casual stargazers, but don't get me started about Pluto being officially declassified or "fired" as one of our planets.
Venus is by far the easiest of the planets to spot. It's the brightest star-like object in the sky. Our closest neighbour in the solar system and second-closest planet to the sun is a bright beacon in the low western sky, seen even before the end of evening twilight. As bright as it is, there isn't a whole lot to see on Venus, even with a larger telescope because it's completely shrouded by a thick and poisonous cloud cover that produces a run away greenhouse effect on the Venusian surface.
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What's Up for June? Venus. And a planetary necklace spanning the sky from dusk to dawn.
Hello, and welcome. I'm Jane Houston Jones at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
June marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, when the sun is highest north of the celestial equator, when it makes its highest path across the sky. This means the days are long and the nights are short.
Make the best of the short nights and look for Venus a half hour after sunset, low on the western horizon. By mid-month, you'll see Earth's twin pass the pretty Beehive Star Cluster.
On the 15th check out the lineup of the slender crescent moon, the Beehive Cluster, Venus and Gemini's twin namesake stars: Castor and Pollux.
Another pair of planets is nearby. Mars, which is just a dot or a small disk in a telescope now, pairs up with Leo's brightest star Regulus, and is not too far from Saturn.
Keep an eye on the moon mid-month, too. It passes Venus on the 14th and Mars on the 16th.
Last year, steely-eyed observers caught a glimpse of Neptune near Jupiter. And this year you'll find Uranus next to the king of the planets. It's easy to know when you've spotted it. The blue-green colour is unmistakeable. But you'll have to wait until nearly dawn. Jupiter doesn't even rise until after 2 a.m.
Even Pluto is worth hunting this month. The dwarf planet is a challenging object visible against the starry blanket of brighter Milky Way stars. You'll need a good, experienced star tour guide and a dark sky with good southern horizons to spot it.
When school is out, you'll be treated to an amazing Milky Way spiralling overhead from south to north, a little after midnight.
You might even see some shooting stars from June's minor meteor showers this month.

Planetary rise and set times

DATE	MERCURY		VENUS		MARS		JUPITER		SATURN
	Rise	Set	Rise	Set	Rise	Set	Rise	Set	Rise	Set
June    10	4:16 AM	5:02 PM	8:06 AM	9:04 PM	10:47 AM	11:17 PM	12:50 AM	12:51 PM	12:37 PM	12:50 AM
June    20	4:49 AM	5:47 PM	8:21 AM	9:11 PM	10:30 AM	10:55 PM	12:15 AM	12:17 PM	11:59 PM	12:11 AM
June   30	5:42 AM	6:44 PM	8:32 AM	9:14 PM	10:14 AM	10:34 PM	11:35 AM	11:41 PM	11:21 PM	11:29 PM