What’s Up in Denver? June 15th through 21st, 2026

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Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

June 15:

Mercury at its easternmost elongation
Mercury at its easternmost elongation

June 16:

The Moon with Jupiter, Mercury, Castor and Pollux
The Moon with Jupiter, Mercury, Castor and Pollux

June 17:

The Moon near Venus and the Beehive Cluster
The Moon near Venus and the Beehive Cluster

June 18:

Standley Lake Stargazing
Standley Lake Stargazing

June 19 (Juneteenth):

June 20:

June 21 (Summer Solstice and Father’s Day):

Happy Father's Day
Happy Father’s Day
  • ☀️ The June Solstice is the time when the Sun reaches the point farthest north of the celestial equator marking the start of summer in here in Denver.
  • 🌓 First quarter Strawberry Moon: 3:55 PM

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

  • The Sun rises about 5:40 AM throughout the week, while sunset shifts from 8:23 PM to 8:24 PM. The summer solstice occurs on June 20, marking the longest day and shortest night of the year in Denver.
  • The Moon rises in the late evening at the start of the week and shifts into the overnight and early morning hours by the weekend, while moonset moves from the afternoon into the evening.
  • Venus continues to dominate the evening sky, setting between 11:30 PM and 11:40 PM and remaining a brilliant beacon in the west after sunset.
  • Mercury remains well placed for evening observers and reaches its greatest eastern elongation on June 20. Look for it low in the western sky after sunset, where it lingers well after the Sun has gone down.
  • Jupiter is now very low in the western twilight and becomes increasingly difficult to observe, setting between 11:40 PM and 11:20 PM during the week.
  • Saturn continues to improve in the morning sky, rising earlier each day and becoming a more accessible target before dawn. Mars remains low in the bright morning twilight and is difficult to observe.
  • Uranus remains poorly placed and largely lost in the Sun’s glare.
  • Neptune rises in the early morning hours and is best observed before dawn, though it remains a challenging telescopic target in the southeastern sky.

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.

  • Anthelion (ANT): 1:00 AM in eastern Leo near Algieba: About 2 per hour.
  • Daytime Arietids (ARI): Before dawn in Aries: Less than 1 per hour visually from Denver. Primarily a daytime shower, but occasional Earthgrazers may be seen shortly before sunrise.
  • June ε-Ophiuchids (JEO): Before dawn in Ophiuchus: Less than 1 per hour. Occasional bright meteor possible.
  • June Bootids (JBO): Before dawn in Boötes near Arcturus: Less than 1 per hour early in the week, increasing as the shower approaches its June 21–22 peak. The June Bootids are known for occasional surprise outbursts.
  • ρ-Cygnids (RCY): Before dawn in Cygnus: Less than 1 per hour. A long-duration minor shower that occasionally produces bright meteors.
  • β-Taurids (BTA): Before dawn low in Taurus: Less than 1 per hour visually. This is primarily a daytime shower, but a few Earthgrazers are sometimes visible from dark locations before sunrise.

Check Out These Helpful Guides from DAS:

Sky Map

Clear skies and happy stargazing!