See what’s up in the night sky for June 2017, including stargazing events and the moon’s phases, in this Space.com gallery courtesy of Starry Night Software.
Shown here: At first quarter, the positions of the Earth, sun, and moon cause us to see one-half of the moon illuminated by the sun. The moon’s lit half is on the western (right-hand) side – toward the setting sun. The first quarter moon rises around noontime and sets around midnight, so it is visible half the time in the afternoon hours – and the other half during the evening hours. The term quarter moon refers not to its shape, but the fact that our natural satellite has now completely the first quarter of its orbital journey around Earth since the last new moon.
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