Solstice ushers in summer of sky treats

By DARYL SCHRADER

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 30, 2000

Summer solstice is at 9:48 p.m. on June 20, marking the longest day (light) of the year. This is the start of summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.

Mercury is easily seen to the west-northwest at dusk the first two weeks of June. It is easily the brightest "star," low to the horizon. A thin crescent moon will be to the upper left of Mercury on the fourth. Mercury is the fastest and innermost of our planets. Its surface looks much like the moon. Since Mercury is small and never strays far from the sun, most people have never seen it. Now is an excellent opportunity to be one of the few who have.

Jupiter and Saturn form an extremely close pair about a half-hour before sunrise in the east-northeast the first part of June. The pair will rise higher in the sky, before dawn, each morning as they slowly separate. Our two largest planets will not pair this close together again until 2020. As always, Jupiter is the brightest.

Notice the crescent moon joins these two giants on the mornings of the 28th and 29th. Also, the Pleiades are to their left all month.

At the planetariums

St. Petersburg Junior College

The planetarium at the St. Petersburg campus (Fifth Avenue and 69th Street) has its new show "Stars of Summer" this month. The free shows are at 7 and 8:15 p.m. on Fridays, with the observatory being open when skies are clear.

Bishop Planetarium

The evening program on Friday and Saturday is "Saving the Night" and "More Than Meets the Eye" at 7 p.m., followed by a tour of the night sky in the planetarium. Then, at 8:30 p.m., if it is clear, the observatory program begins offering the real night sky.

The planetarium show for junior astronomers is on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

As always, there is a great selection of laser shows. Call (941) 746-7827 for times.

MOSI

The IMAX Dome Theater is offering Mysteries of Egypt and Dolphins. On June 18 only, MOSI offers free admission to fathers who are accompanied by a paying child to Mysteries of Egypt.

Now showing in the GTE Challenger Learning Center is "Rendezvous with a Comet."

Other activities include a Great Escape to the Kennedy Space Center on June 10. In addition, on June 12, a celebration of the summer solstice with an astronomy-related activity.

Weather permitting, the astronomy club has a free telescope watch every Saturday night at sunset.

Call (813) 987-6100 for more information.

June sky calendar

THURSDAY: Jupiter and Saturn are extremely close one-half hour before sunrise. Look low to the east-northeast all month to find them.

Pluto is at opposition -- opposite the sun in the sky.

FRIDAY: New moon.

SATURDAY: Mercury is above a very thin crescent moon at dusk. Look low to the west-northwest.

The moon is closest (perigee) to us at 223,143 miles.

SUNDAY: The crescent moon is now to the upper left of Mercury at dusk in the west-northwest. Mercury is the brightest "star" in the vicinity.

JUNE 8: First quarter moon.

JUNE 9: Mercury is at greatest (elongation) angular distance from the sun.

Mercury, Pollux and Castor form an isosceles triangle in the west-northwest at dusk.

JUNE 11: Venus is in superior conjunction -- on the other side of the sun.

JUNE 15: Note that the Pleiades are to the left of the Jupiter-Saturn pair in the predawn sky this month.

JUNE 16: Full moon.

JUNE 18: The moon is at an apogee (farthest) at 252,358 miles.

JUNE 20: Solstice at 9:48 p.m. Summer begins.

Mercury is stationary among the background stars.

JUNE 24: Last quarter moon.

JUNE 26: Mercury is near the sun.

JUNE 28/29: Look an hour before sunrise in the east to see Jupiter and Saturn with the crescent moon.

Daryl L. Schrader is an astronomy and mathematics professor at St. Petersburg Junior College and teaches astronomy at the University of South Florida.

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