Spend a month with the Moon

Scott Levine follows Earth's natural satellite and jumps off to spot nearby targets

- Scott Levine

We all need some W help when we're new to the skies. Fortunately, we have an incredibly handy tool to guide us on our way: the Moon. As it orbits and its phase changes, we can use it to hop off to the amazing objects it passes on its way. So use this article as inspiration this month, as you head outside and let the Moon guide you through the night.

Most of what we will talk about here are objects we can see with the unaided eye, but we'll visit some deep-sky objects too. Before you start, however, remember to give your eyes time to adjust to the dark and preserve your night vision with a red filter on a torch, or by using a mobile phone's night mode. Now we are ready, let's get started on our month's tour with the Moon!

New to first quarter Moon

The Moon was at its new phase on 30 May, lying between the Sun and Earth, which means that as June gets underway it starts to leave the Sun's glare. On 1-2 June, you will find an eyelash-thin crescent under five stars arching just above the western horizon. With the summer solstice only about three weeks away, twilight lingers deep into the evening, so these may be tough to see.