Russians were told about the most interesting astronomical phenomena of June

In June, residents of Russia will be able to observe several interesting astronomical phenomena at once — from the convergence of the Moon and Jupiter to the appearance of silvery clouds and possible starfall. Sergey Chumakov, Doctor of Sciences, educator and teacher, told Izvestia about this on June 18.

According to the expert, Jupiter can still be seen in the western part of the sky after sunset in the coming days. The evening period of visibility of the largest planet in the Solar system is coming to an end, but so far it remains visible for about an hour after sunset.

Jupiter will look especially impressive next to the growing Moon on June 18 and 19. Despite the visual convergence, in reality these celestial bodies are separated by hundreds of millions of kilometers.

"The convergence of these two celestial bodies cannot be called extremely close and unique, but it looks at least beautiful," said Chumakov.

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In addition to the planets and the Earth's satellite, a rare atmospheric phenomenon can be observed in June — silvery clouds. They appear after sunset in the west and look like luminous gray-blue stripes or threads against the dark sky. According to the expert, silvery clouds form at an altitude of 70 to 100 km, almost on the border of the atmosphere and space. They consist of tiny ice crystals formed around particles of meteoric or volcanic dust. Due to the fact that the Sun does not sink deep below the horizon in summer, such clouds continue to be illuminated by its rays even after sunset. Unlike ordinary clouds, which look dark at night, silvery clouds stand out noticeably with their brightness against the background of a dark blue sky.

Another astronomical event at the end of the month will be the maximum meteor shower June Booties, which is expected on June 27. However, as the expert warns, the activity of this stream remains extremely unpredictable.

"Its activity is extremely variable, and it's too early to say that any noticeable starfall can be seen on this day," Chumakov stressed.

On May 26, Science Daily magazine reported the discovery of a giant factory of planets beyond the orbit of Jupiter. According to the publication, the dust ring behind the planet served as the main site for the formation of planetary embryos in the early Solar System. According to scientists, this region has been producing planetesimals — building blocks for future celestial bodies - for millions of years.