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Summer stargazing begins in June
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published May 31, 2026
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By
Rosemary Misdary
Published May 31, 2026
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The nights might be shorter in the summer, but there are plenty of opportunities this month to take in some awe-inspiring celestial sights.
Summer stargazing starts this month with the rise of an astronomical phenomenon known as the Summer Triangle. The center of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is one of the evening highlights of the summer skies. June will also get a double-billing of two meteor showers.
Summer skies
One of the most iconic celestial objects of the season is the Summer Triangle, which is not a constellation, but rather three bright stars from three different constellations: Vega from Lyra, Deneb from Cygnus and Altair from Aquila. Patterns like this are called asterisms.
The Summer Triangle is clearly visible despite the city’s immense light pollution. Look east after dark for three glittering stars in a triangle, which will be right overhead by midnight.
“June really heralds back in the Summer Triangle,” said Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.
During the summer, observers may also see a white luminous smudge across the sky, right overhead. That’s the Milky Way and its majestic sight is best viewed under dark skies.
While some astronomers say stargazers cannot see the billowing, cloudy ribbon of the center of our galaxy, there have been sightings on the far side of Staten Island and Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Beyond the city limits, the Milky Way is definitely visible. New Yorkers travelling for the season can see it very clearly in places like the Catskills and the Adirondacks.
The easiest way to locate the Milky Way or any celestial object is to use an astronomy app such as Stellarium, but it’s easy to find.
”During the peak of the summer. right at sunset, you have the Milky Way stretching across our sky," Faherty said.
Meteor showers
Meteor showers get a double billing this month, starting with the Arietids shower that runs through July 2, and peaks June 7-10. The daytime meteor shower can have up to 200 shooting stars per hour, and the best time to view it is by looking east in the hour before dawn.
In contrast, the Bootids shower is an evening event with two or three meteors per hour. The shower runs from June 22 until July 2, and peaks on June 27. The shooting stars are slow, very bright and long-lasting. Look northwest after sunset until midnight.
“I t's not a very strong meteor shower, but it occasionally produces unexpected outbursts,” said Bart Fried, member of the Amateur Astronomers Association.
City stargazing
New Yorkers stuck in the city for the summer and unable to get to darker skies still have an opportunity for awe-inspiring astronomy.
The Amateur Astronomers Association hosts at least three telescope viewings per week in locations across the city, such as Lincoln Center Plaza, the Highline, Evergreens Cemetery and Floyd Bennett Field. A good night to go this month is June 9 on the Highline because there is a conjunction that includes the moon, Venus and Jupiter. It is visible to the naked eye, but with a telescope, an up-close view is spectacular.
Across the five boroughs, some darker spots offer better opportunities for stargazing, including Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx; Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn; Governor’s Island in Manhattan; Fort Tilden, Breezy Point and Evergreens Cemetery in Queens; and Staten Island’s Great Kills Park and South Beach.
(Safely) staring at the sun
The official start of summer is June 21, the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. During the summer solstice, New York City gets just over 15 hours of daylight, which is in sharp contrast to the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice on Dec. 21, which has just over nine hours of daylight. The Amateur Astronomers Association is hosting a free daytime telescope viewing in Marine Park in Brooklyn to view the sun’s surface up close.
Observers can see dark sunspots, which are cooler parts of the sun. Through a telescope with special filters, viewers can see bright solar flares and glowing plasma known as prominences.
”During the summer solstice, we're pointed as close to dead-on to the sun as we can be,” Faherty said.
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Health and Science
astronomy
new york city
Rosemary Misdary
Rosemary is health & science reporter. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 646-544-9524.
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