June, the sixth month, may derive its name from the Latin word ‘juventis,” which means youth, but it’s more probable that it was named for Juno, the Roman goddess of the moon. She was particularly venerated by women, who associated her with marriage and childbirth. One legend has it that the sacred geese of Juno warned Romans of an impending attack in Rome by the Gauls in 275 B.C.

Focus on the planets

Compared to last month’s lineup of planets, June has a much more modest offering, with Jupiter and Venus as the only major attractions to capture the interest of planet watchers.

Mercury is hidden from view until after midmonth, when it may be found low in the southeast three-quarters of an hour before sunrise.

Venus is the brightest planet in the evening sky, where it can be found in the west-northwest about an hour after sunset.

Mars starts the month low on the Western horizon well to the lower right of Jupiter. At the end of June, Jupiter joins Mars as they brush the western horizon about a half-hour after sunset.

Jupiter joins Venus on the western horizon in close proximity to its much brighter neighbor. On June 1, the planets are side by side, separated by less than three degrees, directly under Castor and Pollux, the “twins of Gemini.”

Saturn is lost in the glare of the sun during June.

Uranus and Neptune rise well after midnight in the southeast among the stars of Capricorn.

Pluto is in the constellation Ophiuchus but requires a 10-inch telescope and finder’s charts to locate it.

Our celestial neighborhood

Would you like to drive through the entire solar system in a little over an hour? It’s perfectly possible according to an article the May-June AAA magazine, Northern New England Journey. University of Maine at Presque Isle geology professor Kevin McCartney and a group of volunteers have built a scale model of the solar system, relative to the size of the planets and the distance between them, along Route 1 between Houlton and Presque Isle.

The model starts with a 50-foot sun at the UMPI Northern Maine Museum of Science and ends with a 1-inch Pluto at the Houlton Tourist Center 40 miles to the south. The model is believed to be the largest of if its kind in the world. Giant Jupiter required a crane to place it on its base as it weighed in at over 1000 pounds while Mercury is a painted billiard ball and Mars is made from a baseball. If you have occasion to in The County this summer, don’t miss the unique opportunity to make your own personal tour of the solar system.

June events

. June 1: Sunrise, 4:53 a.m.; sunset, 8:14 p.m.

. June 3: Moon in last quarter, 8:06 p.m. Be sure to check the western horizon after sunset where less than two degrees separate Venus and Jupiter.

. June 4: The moon is at apogee, or farthest distance from the Earth.

. June 10: New moon, 7:47 p.m. There will be a partial eclipse of the sun around sunset, but unfortunately it will not be visible in the east.

. June 13: Venus is directly beneath the crescent moon. Castor and Pollux of Gemini are the stars directly to the right Venus.

. June 18: Moon in first quarter, 8:29 p.m.

. June 19: Moon at perigee, or closest approach to the Earth.

. June 21: Summer solstice, 9:23 a.m. This marks the farthest point the sun travels north of the equator and is the first day of summer. The solstice also marks the sun’s entrance in the astrological sign of Cancer but, a few hours later, astronomically enters Gemini on the ecliptic.

. June 23: St. John’s Eve, a midsummer holiday when bonfires used to be lit across the length and breadth of England.

. June 24: Full moon, 5:42 p.m. Full moons traditionally have several names. Among those for the full moon of June are the Rose Moon, Flower Moon, Honey Moon, and Strawberry Moon.

. June 29: Jupiter and Mars are low in the northwest shortly after sunset. Venus is well to their upper left.

. June 30: Sunrise, 4:52 a.m.; sunset, 8:25 p.m.

Send astronomical queries to Clair Wood at cgmewood@aol.com or care of the Bangor Daily News, Style Desk, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, Me. 04402.