Astronomy

Night Sky This Week

The night sky this week through June 26th, 2026, summer is beginning to make its presence known. The evenings are warm, the days are long, and some of the most familiar sights of summer are starting to take center stage. Whether you’re a seasoned stargazer or simply enjoy a few quiet moments outdoors after sunset, there is plenty to see this week.

🌙 Evening Highlights

Western dusk sky map labeled Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Regulus, Spica, Castor and Pollux; June 21, 1 hour after sunset

Mercury makes a brief appearance in the evening sky this week. About an hour after sunset, look low in the western sky just above the horizon. It won’t stay visible for long, so you’ll need a clear western view to spot it. On Monday, Mercury sits just to the upper left of the slender crescent Moon. By Friday, Mercury will be west of Jupiter as it continues to grow dimmer each night and slowly fades from view over the coming weeks.

Right after sunset, Venus is stealing the show. It shines so brilliantly that it’s often the first object you’ll notice as twilight begins to fade. If you’re looking toward the west, it’s nearly impossible to miss.

Venus has now passed Jupiter as it climbs higher in the sky. Because Venus is much closer to Earth and moves more quickly along its orbit, you can actually notice the changing positions of these two planets from week to week.

Jupiter remains visible after sunset before finally setting before midnight. Even a small pair of binoculars can make the giant planet more interesting. Under steady skies, you may be able to spot its four largest moons lined up beside it like tiny stars.

🌅 Early Morning Sky

If you’re up before sunrise, there is still plenty happening overhead.

Astronomy chart showing June 2026 mornings looking east, with Saturn marked on a diagonal green path above a dawn horizon.

Saturn is becoming easier to find in the southeastern sky before dawn. Its steady golden glow helps it stand out once you know where to look, and it is currently the brightest object in that part of the sky.

Mars is nearby, sitting lower and a bit to the left of Saturn. The Red Planet rises about an hour before sunrise and adds a splash of color to the morning sky.

✨ Constellations of the Week

Star map of Scorpius in a dark night sky, with cyan lines and labels Antares, Acrab, Dschubba, Shaula, and Sargas.

One of the most recognizable constellations of summer, the constellation Scorpius resembles a giant scorpion stretching across the southeastern sky. Its bright red star, Antares, is often called the “Heart of the Scorpion” and rivals Mars in color. Look toward the southeast during the evening hours to find this magnificent constellation rising higher each night.

For skywatchers across the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius has long been a sign that summer has arrived. When its curved tail and glowing red heart appear on warm evenings, the season is officially underway.

Starry Milky Way sky with Sagitarius' familiar teapot constellation outlined in white lines against a dense field of stars.

Nearby, Sagittarius rises in the southeast. In mythology, Sagittarius represents a centaur armed with a bow and arrow aimed toward Antares. Modern observers often find it easier to see the constellation’s famous “Teapot” shape. If you can spot the teapot, you’re looking toward one of the richest regions of the Milky Way, packed with star clusters and nebulae.

As the evening grows darker, the Milky Way starts becoming more noticeable in the southeastern sky. If you can get away from city lights, look for a faint glowing band stretching across the sky. This hazy glow is actually the combined light of billions of distant stars in our galaxy.

The brightest and richest section of the Milky Way lies near Sagittarius, where we are looking toward the center of our galaxy some 26,000 light-years away.

If you get a clear evening this week, take a few minutes to step outside and look up. The night sky is changing quickly now, with spring gradually giving way to summer. From bright planets to rising summer constellations, there’s something new to notice almost every night—and you never know what might catch your eye. 🌠✨

Garden almanac

In the Garden this Week

In the garden this week, received some much-needed rain last week. With that, some people received some hail. With it being early in the garden season, I would just replant those annuals and garden plants that got hit. It is early in the season, so they will produce later on.

Don’t let a lack of garden space keep you from growing fresh vegetables. Container gardening is an easy and rewarding way to enjoy homegrown produce on a patio, deck, balcony, or even a sunny driveway.

Container-grown vegetables need more frequent watering than plants growing in the ground. During hot, windy weather, you may need to water daily or even twice a day. Check the soil regularly and water when the top inch feels dry. Consistent moisture helps prevent problems such as blossom-end rot on tomatoes and bitter-tasting vegetables.

The first step is choosing the right container. Larger containers hold more soil, which means they dry out more slowly and give plant roots plenty of room to grow. Most vegetables need a container that is at least 12 inches deep, while larger crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers benefit from even bigger pots. Whatever container you choose, make sure it has drainage holes so excess water can escape.

Next, fill your containers with a quality potting mix rather than garden soil. Potting mixes are lighter, drain better, and help roots develop properly. Many mixes also contain materials that help retain moisture, which is especially important during the heat of summer.

Location matters. Most vegetables need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. Leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach can tolerate a little shade, but tomatoes, peppers, beans, and cucumbers perform best in full sun.

Because nutrients wash out of containers over time, regular fertilizing is important. A slow-release fertilizer mixed into the potting soil at planting time works well, and many gardeners supplement with a water-soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks throughout the growing season.

Some of the easiest vegetables for container gardening include tomatoes, peppers, bush beans, carrots, and cucumbers. Most herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, and cilantro also thrive in containers and are handy to have close to the kitchen.

Below are the herbs I am growing in 10-inch plastic pots.

Pot a lemon basil.
Lemon Basil
A pot a marjoram
Marjoram
Pot of cinnamon Basil
Cinnamon Basil
12-inch pot alpine strawberries
Alpine Strawberries
Pot of chamomile
Chamomile
Pot of Lemon balm.
Lemon Balm
Pot of lavender
Lavender
Pot of parsley
Parsley
Pot of oregano
Oregano
Pot of sage
Sage
Pot of borage with light blue and pink flowers
Borage
Pot of rosemary
Rosemary
Pot of tarragon
Tarragon
Pot of thyme
Thyme

Astronomy

🌌 Night Sky This Week: Through June 21st, 2026 🌠

Summer is beginning to make its presence known in the night sky this week. The first day of summer in 2026, the June solstice, is one of those moments you feel as much as you understand. When you step outside on June 21, the sky, the light, and even the way the day moves all shift in subtle but unmistakable ways.

Stonehenge silhouette at sunset with the sun through the stones, overlaid text: Summer Solstice.

On this day, the Sun climbs to its highest point of the entire year, and you can sense it in the way the world looks and behaves. The daylight stretches long and slow, almost as if the Sun is reluctant to leave. Shadows at noon shrink to their shortest, giving everything a crisp, upright look.

🌙 Evening Highlights

Twilight western sky with labeled Venus, Jupiter, Moon, Mercury, Pollux and Castor above dark horizon; June 16 note.

Mercury makes a brief appearance in the evening sky this week. About 30 minutes after sunset, look low in the western sky just above the horizon. It won’t stay visible for long, so you’ll need a clear western horizon if you’d like to catch it. On Monday, Mercury sits to the upper left of the crescent Moon. By Tuesday evening, the little planet will be below the Moon, forming a nice triangle with Jupiter. Mercury will fade in the coming few weeks.

Right after sunset, Venus is stealing the show. It shines so brightly that it’s often the very first object you’ll notice as the sky begins to darken. If you’re looking west, it’s nearly impossible to miss.

Venus has now passed Jupiter as it climbs higher in the sky. Because Venus is much closer to Earth and moves faster in its orbit, you can actually notice their changing positions from week to week. On Wednesday, the Moon passes in front of Venus during the daytime. Unfortunately, since this event occurs while the Sun is up, we won’t be able to witness it.

Jupiter remains visible after sunset before finally setting before midnight. Even a small pair of binoculars can make the giant planet more interesting. Under steady skies, you may be able to spot its four largest moons lined up beside it like tiny stars.

🌅 Early Morning Sky

If you’re up before sunrise, there’s still plenty happening overhead.

Star map labeled June 2026 Mornings Looking East, showing Saturn near a green diagonal line over a dawn horizon.

Saturn is becoming easier to find in the southeast before dawn. Its steady golden glow helps it stand out once you know where to look.

Mars is nearby, sitting lower and a bit to the left of Saturn. The Red Planet rises about an hour before sunrise.

✨ Constellations of the Week

This time of year really shows how quickly the night sky changes with the seasons.

Diagram of Leo the Lion constellation on black, with blue star lines labeled Denebola, Regulus, and The Sickle.

By around 10 p.m., Leo the Lion is sinking toward the western horizon. Once you learn its shape, it’s easy to recognize. Look for the backward question mark known as the “Sickle,” with a triangle of stars extending behind it. The bright star Regulus sits at the base of the Sickle and marks the lion’s heart.

Leo also has an interesting connection to history. In ancient Egypt, the Sun’s movement into Leo roughly coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile River. Those floods brought life-giving water to the land, and lion imagery later became common in fountains and artwork throughout Greek and Roman cultures.

Scorpius constellation labeled in a starry night sky above a dark horizon.

Meanwhile, one of the most recognizable summer constellations, Scorpius, resembles a scorpion with a long, curving tail. Its bright red star, Antares, is often called the “heart of the scorpion” and rivals Mars in color. Look to the southeast to east for this splendid constellation.

For skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius has long been a symbol of summer. When its curved tail and bright red heart rise in the southeast on warm evenings, many observers know that summer has truly arrived.

If you get a clear evening this week, take a few minutes to step outside and look up. The night sky is changing quickly now, with spring gradually giving way to summer. From bright planets to rising summer constellations, there’s something new to notice almost every night, and you never know what might catch your eye.