The sun reigns supreme in the sky of the Hautes Alpes, it hides from us the stars of the early evening. They discreetly prepare the show for next summer, from which night-owls and early risers can already enjoy a little.
- On June 9, in the glows of the setting sun, Venus and Jupiter are spaced by only 1.5° apparent, the equivalent of 3 lunar diameters, in the constellation of Gemini to the left of Pollux’s shoulder.
Look west-northwest above the horizon 40 minutes after sunset ! Venus, the Shepherd’s Star, shines brightest.
- On the evening of June 16, a thin crescent of the Moon and its ashen light visits Mercury, in the constellation of Gemini, very low above the West-Northwest horizon.
Venus has passed Jupiter and is in the constellation of Cancer.
- On June 17, in the constellation of Cancer, it is the turn of Venus to receive the visit of the Moon, whose crescent is expanding.
All these visits are to be watched after sunset !
June, month of the summer solstice
On Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 10:24 AM takes place the summer solstice, which marks the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere.
On that day, for 2026, the Sun is in the constellation of Gemini, at the foot of Castor, Pollux’s brother.
At solar noon (about 1:38 PM), it is almost 69° high above the horizon in the Hautes-Alpes, and about 65° in Paris.
June, month of Saint John's fires
At this time of year, humanity associated landmarks and rites :
The summer solstice has been celebrated for a long time, originally in connection with the cult of the sun. This is the most important day of the year for the old solar cults.
- For the ancient Celts, Litha is the festival of mid-summer, opposite to Yule. It is a pastoral and agricultural festival, but also a celebration of conjugal union.
In England, at the historic site of Stonehenge in the county of Wiltshire, many people gather each year to observe the sunrise in the alignment of the megalithic structure.
- The bonfires of Saint John's, around which people dance and over which they jump on June 24, are a pagan custom linked to the summer solstice. The purifying fire was supposed to ward off evil spirits and protect crops.
- Midsummer, is a set of celebrations in different countries of Northern Europe—Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia—all taking place during the summer solstice, between 21 and 25 June. It is a major festival in Scandinavian and Baltic cultures.
In Finland, before the arrival of Christianity, it was called Ukko Day, god of heaven, storm and war, equivalent to Odin in Norse mythology.
- In Syria and Phoenicia, the solstice gave rise to a great festival in honor of Tammuz, Babylonian god of abundance, which began on the evening before, as in the traditional Saint-Jean.