Starwatch: the last-quarter moon rises close to Saturn

Those awake in the early hours of 10 June can see the last-quarter moon close to the planet Saturn.

The chart shows the view looking south-east from London at 3am BST. Having cleared the eastern horizon at about 2am, the planet and the moon will continue to climb into the sky until the dawn light washes Saturn from view about an hour and a half later.

The moon will continue to be visible in the daytime sky, setting at around 11.30am. At last quarter, the moon is about to enter the fourth and final week of its current phase cycle. The western hemisphere of the moon is illuminated, giving it a half-moon appearance. This hemisphere is dominated by the dark marking known as the Oceanus Procellarum, ocean of storms. Now known to be a solidified lava plain, it was mistaken for a body of water by early astronomers.

During the course of the next week, the moon will continue waning, rising later and later with less of its near side illuminated. It will then pass between Earth and the sun to emerge in the evening sky as a new moon. The pairing will also be visible from the southern hemisphere.