So far, we’ve been focusing on the wildlife around us on Earth and, while we covered cloudspotting last week, we’re now looking at the night sky to see what we can discover. 

Stargazing is another extremely beneficial activity for mindfulness and feeling connected to the earth. You can simply find a quiet spot with low light pollution, lie back on a blanket and observe the sky while letting your mind wander. It really is that easy! You don’t need fancy equipment or to look out for anything in particular to get the stress relieving and wellbeing benefits from stargazing. 

However, if you’d like to take it a step further, we’ve got a list of what you might see in the night sky on June 26th. So, whether you’ve got binoculars, a telescope, or just want to observe with the naked eye, there are plenty of marvels to see tonight. 

What might you see in the sky on June 26th? 

Before Sunrise:

Taurus and Mars

The Taurus constellation will be rising in the north eastern sky early on Friday morning  accompanied by the planet Mars. The “Red Planet” will be low in the sky, just right of the Pleiades star cluster. Mars will rise at 2:46am, with the best visibility being from 3-4am. 

Pisces and Saturn

The Pisces constellation will rise in the east and appear as a backdrop for the second largest planet in the solar system, Saturn. Saturn will rise at 1:52am but, for the best chance of viewing it with Pisces as well, look to the south eastern sky from 2-3:30am. 

After Sunset:

The Moon

The moon, in its waxing gibbous phase, will rise in the southeast in daylight at 6:58pm. 

Scorpius and Antares

The moon will be joined in the southern sky by the Scorpius constellation, visible from 10:30pm onwards. The brightest star in Scorpius is Antares, often known as the ‘heart of the scorpion’. At an estimated 16 times the size of our sun, Antares is a red supergiant and one of the largest stars visible without a telescope. With a name meaning ‘rival to Ares’ (rival to Mars), this reddish-toned star is a marvel to observe. It will appear to the left of the moon on June 26th after dusk. 

Bootës and Arcturus

In the southwest, Bootës (the Herdsman) will be visible with the best time to view being from 11:30pm onwards. This constellation features the bright star Arcturus, a name meaning Guardian of the Bear. Arcturus is a red giant star, and the fourth brightest star in the night sky. At approximately 7.1 billion years old and around 170 times the luminosity of our sun, tonight is a great opportunity to see this magnificent pattern of stars. 

Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila

High in the eastern sky, the ‘Summer Triangle’ will be visible from 11pm onwards. The ‘Summer Triangle’ is formed by the Cygnus (the Swan), Lyra (the Harp), and Aquila (the Eagle) constellations. Vega in Lyra is the brightest star in the eastern sky, and was the North Star 14,000 years ago. It is only around a tenth of the age of our sun, but is 2.1 times as big. Take the opportunity tonight to view the star some scientists have called the most important in the sky after our sun. 

Venus

Venus will be especially bright on June 26th and, although it will rise at 8:20am and set at 11:41pm, its best visibility will be just after sunset. Look west at 10:30pm to watch the second planet from the sun set behind the horizon. 

The Big Dipper

As Venus sets, look just above it in the north western sky to see Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear. 11pm will be the best time to see this constellation, which includes the asterism known as the Plough or the Big Dipper. To the right of the Big Dipper is Polaris, the North Star. 

What can you find when you look up? 

Get outside and see what you can discover about the night sky for day 26. Note down your findings and how you feel as you observe. You never know, they might come in handy for tomorrow’s day 27 challenge, write a poem or short story about nature.