Sky Watcher - Summer 2025

Summer Stars

June Sky
During May & June the constellations of Ursa Major & Leo are high in the sky. Looking overhead after sunset, look towards your zenith to spot the Big Dipper, which is the tail of Ursa Major. Using the Dipper’s tail, you can find the bright stars Arcturus and Spica high in the southern sky.

July Sky
In July, observers in the Northern Hemisphere can spot many famous summer stars including the Summer Triangle. Bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair create the asterism of the Summer Triangle. This bright triangle rises in early June in the east and is visible in our sky until early November.
Also visible in July is constellation Scorpius, which stays very close to our horizon in Missouri. Look due south after sunset in mid-July for Scorpius. Look for the bright star Antares, which represents the scorpion’s heart.

Planet Spotting

Mars, Venus, and Saturn are all visible in the sky for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer months. Only Mars is visible in the evenings, while earlier risers will have a spectacular view of Saturn and Venus, the “morning star”.

Mars - The Red Planet is visible in the evening in the southwest near the constellation Leo.

Saturn - Dim Saturn rises around 3:00am in the east, and remains visible in the southeast until about 5:30am.

Venus - Morning Star Venus rises around 3:45am, and remains visible until sunrise just before 6am.