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Starwatch 11 June

Starwatch: mooning around for a glimpse of Saturn in Sagittarius

This article is more than 5 years old

This constellation is not the easiest to identify, because its stars are rather faint and it never rises high in the UK sky

The full Moon is always a beautiful sight in the night sky, but this month it is particularly useful as well. Those with a good southern horizon can use it to identify two rather more elusive celestial sights: the planet Saturn and the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer.

At midnight, as 27 June becomes 28, the Moon will be full. It will sit fairly low in the southern sky and the planet Saturn will be just below it to the left.

The sixth planet in the solar system will be a yellowish colour, and will be at its closest approach to the Earth for this year. Both the Moon and Saturn will be in Sagittarius. This constellation is not the easiest to identify, because its stars are rather faint and it never rises high in the UK sky. The best way to recognise it is by the way its central stars resemble a teapot.

So find a clear southern horizon, and look for it immediately below the Moon and Saturn on the night of the 27th.

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