If 2021 had a Woodstock month for astronomy, it would surely be June.
This month will see a solar eclipse at dawn on June 10; Jupiter and Saturn in the same binocular view as the waxing moon in the wee hours of June 28; the summer solstice on June 21; and the steady rise of Scorpius and Sagittarius in the southern sky, officially kicking off the summer astronomy season. And, as if that weren’t enough, the U.S. Congress takes possession of a public report on the recent UFO ballyhoo, commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Now that’s a month in astronomy!
But let’s start with the eclipse. They’re not exactly rare in cosmic terms, but uncommon enough on the scale of a human life, and who doesn’t like to see the sun blotted from the sky? In Millbrook, the eclipse will start at 5:35 AM, peak at 5:40 AM, and end at 6:38 AM. Yes, AM! What, you can’t roll out of bed to witness the delicate gravitational dance of our two most important celestial partners in perfect alignment?
In truth, though, getting a clear view of the very low eastern horizon during the eclipse will be challenging anywhere in the valley. Find high ground if you can.
This eclipse will also be less spectacular than most because it is annular rather than total. “Annular” is Latin for “ring-shaped” and refers to the fiery circle around the moon when it is near apogee (greatest distance from the earth) and crosses the sun’s path. It is one of the stranger coincidences of the earth-moon system that the sun just happens to be both 400 times the diameter of the moon and 400 times more distant from the earth than the moon. That geometry results in the moon being a nearly perfect “fit” for the face of the sun during a total eclipse. At apogee, though, the moon is too far away from earth for a match, and the result is a blazing solar engagement ring one size too large.
This eclipse will also be only partial, at least as seen from this area. The dark circle of the moon will appear to rotate south to north through the lower portion of the sun’s disk. That spectacle will still be extremely bright, by the way, so make sure to use a solar filter to protect your eyes.
The second celestial alignment to occur this month is the summer solstice. This occurs when the earth is at maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the sun. Contrary to popular belief, summer in the northern hemisphere arrives due to this tilt and not because the earth is closer to the sun during summer. In fact, the earth will be at aphelion (the point farthest from the sun) on July 5, in what will hopefully be the thick of summer heat. Luckily, this celestial alignment can be enjoyed with equipment no more complex than a deck chair and a cool beverage.
Now, as for that congressional UFO report. Well, my fellow Zeta Reticulans have asked me to withhold comment until all our ships are in position. So you’ll have to wait and see.
Stargazing by Dennis Vanderspek
