Sky Shorts: Upcoming summer solstice signals change in northern sky

At 4:51 p.m. June 20, we celebrate the first day of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year.

The summer solstice occurs when the northern hemisphere is at its maximum tilt toward the sun. It is also when the sun reaches the farthest north position, which is 23.5 degrees, from the celestial equator. This location point on our lovely planet is known as the Tropic of Cancer.

On the solstice, the sun will rise and set at the most northern position of due east or due west, respectively. Observe the position of sun rise and sun set as we approach the summer solstice. Then after the solstice, observe how the sun starts to rise and set further south each day. Structures such as Stonehenge in England and Machu Picchu in Peru capture the position of the sun through the year, at key points, such as solstices and equinoxes.

You may notice the high arc of the sun and how high it is at noon around the solstice. The summer solstice does not mark the hottest day of the year, which usually happens in July or August. Remember, Earth takes a little time to warm up after the winter months.

This year’s summer solstice is coinciding with a very active sun! We are nearing the peak of the sun’s eleven-year activity cycle. We are currently in solar cycle 25. Over the last few months, we have experienced a significant number of solar flares and sunspots. Back on April 22-23, we observed the greatest number of sunspots in 22 years. Sunspots are darker spots on the sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity and are regions of reduced surface temperature. On April 23, four solar flares in quick succession exploded from the sun’s surface, emitting intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation. When sunspots are more active, more flares will occur creating an increase in geomagnetic storm activity for Earth, creating auroras!

On May 8, sunspot AR 3664, had grown so large it rivaled the Carrington sunspot of 1859. The Carrington sunspot emitted a series of intense solar flares and coronal mass ejections. It set fire to telegraph offices and sparked auroras from Cuba to Hawaii. Sunspot AR 3664 was at that time 15 times wider than Earth. May 8 also saw two X class flares and multiple M class flares. On the afternoon of May 10, an extreme solar storm alert, G5 level, was issued. This was the first time since October of 2003. That night auroras were enjoyed by millions of people around the world! Stay tuned, we may enjoy more northern lights in the months to come!

Follow spaceweather.com for daily sun activity and possible aurora displays.

NIGHT SKY FOR JUNE

Planets and the Moon

Except for an appearance by Mercury in the last week of June, there are no other planets in the evening sky. During the last week, Mercury can be spotted only six degrees high in the west, northwest, 40 minutes after sunset. Binoculars may be needed.

In the predawn sky we have quite a planet lineup! At the start of the month, six planets are spread 72 degrees across the ecliptic. The line-up is Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn. For an added treat, the waning crescent Moon will wander through the line-up in the first week of June. A few of the planets will switch positions throughout the month.

At the beginning of the month, Saturn will be the first to rise, in the southeast, just before 2 a.m. at magnitude 1. On June 27, Saturn and the waning gibbous Moon are 3.5 degrees apart.

Neptune will be 10.5 degrees east of Saturn before sunrise. You will need binoculars and scan two fields of view east of Saturn. The waning gibbous Moon will help to locate Neptune on June 28. The Moon will be less than a degree north of Neptune just before dawn.

Mars rises shortly before 3:30 a.m. on June 1 at magnitude 1.1. It will be 6.5 degrees east of the waning crescent Moon on June 2. By June 30, Mars rises at 2:30 a.m. and continues to brighten.

Uranus rises by 4:45 a.m. June 1 in the morning twilight making viewing difficult. However, Mercury, at magnitude -0.9, will be 2.5 degrees to the left. Binoculars are needed. The slender crescent Moon passes north of Uranus on June 4.

Jupiter reappears in the morning sky in June and continues to rise earlier each day. On June 1, it rises around 5 a.m. and is easy to spot at magnitude -2.0. On June 4, Mercury and Jupiter will be less than one tenth of a degree apart. The difficult part of viewing this conjunction will be the brightening skies right before sunrise. It will be worth a try but take along binoculars. By June 30, Jupiter rises at 3:30 a.m.

Venus is not viewable in June.

The Full Strawberry Moon will occur one day after the summer solstice. On the solstice the Moon will rise as the Sun sets and set as the Sun rises the next morning.

Night sky spotlight

This month’s spotlight goes to the bravest and strongest hero, Hercules. Hercules continues to climb higher in the eastern sky each night. Hercules may take a little bit of practice to locate, especially if you have light pollution in your neighborhood. Plus, there are relatively few bright stars in Hercules. To find Hercules locate the bright orange-yellow star Arcturus. Hint… arc off the handle of the Big Dipper to Arcturus. Head down slightly and to the left to a keystone shape or a crooked square shape asterism or notable pattern. This is the body of Hercules. Another way to locate Hercules is to find another bright star, Vega, which is in the northeast. Look right for the keystone shape. Basically, Hercules is in between Arcturus and Vega.

For northern hemisphere observers, Hercules appears to be standing upside down. The head of Hercules is a visual binary star called Rasalgheti. The primary star is orange red, but its companion is bluish turquoise or sage green. It is one of my favorite double stars. You will need a telescope to view Rasalgheti. One of Hercules’ feet is firmly placed on the head of Draco, the Dragon. Draco was the monster Hercules slayed as one of his 12 labors.

Hercules contains the great globular star cluster, Messier 13. It is a tightly packed cluster of about one million stars. With practice you can view through binoculars. It would appear as a fuzzy patch on the part of Hercules that faces Arcturus. A telescope would offer a stunning view. Another globular cluster is Messier 92. It makes a triangle with the two stars in the keystone shape that face north.

For further night sky details, maps and audio, visit my website www.starrytrails.com.

Visit Hoover Price Planetarium

Starting Tuesday, there will be daily planetarium shows on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Visit www.mckinleymuseum.org, for show dates and times! Planetarium shows are free with museum admission. The Planetarium is located inside the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW in Canton. For more information, please call the museum at 330-455-7043.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Sun's actions will change with June 20 summer solstice