Two planets will appear in the night sky this week - Venus and Mars. If you love watching the sky at night during this summer solstice, you will also get a glimpse of the crescent moon.
Crescent Moon, Venus, Mars, And Stars on Summer Solstice
Here are some things you can expect this week if you love skygazing, per Forbes.
Crescent Moon And 'The Twins' (Monday, June 19)
The brightest stars in the constellation Gemini - Castor and Pollux - will be seen near a 3.4% crescent moon. You'll need to move quickly, but it should be a beautiful sight low on the western horizon after sunset.
Crescent Moon Aligns With Venus And Mars (Tuesday, June 20)
A 7.7% crescent moon will light up the sky Tuesday, which will be higher than the previous night. Additionally, you will see Venus and Mars beyond it. The trio will be visible in the west.
Look towards the darkening limb of the moon to see "Earthshine," sunlight reflected onto the lunar surface from almost an entire Earth. The ideal months for Earthshine are April and May.
Venus, Mars, And A Crescent Moon On The Solstice (Wednesday, June 21)
The summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year, occurs at precisely 10:58 a.m. EDT and indicates a short night for the entire northern hemisphere and zero astronomical darkness for north latitudes. But on Wednesday, shortly after sunset, you can view a lovely 13%-lit crescent Moon next to the brilliant planet Venus. Just above the duo will be the red planet Mars creating a beautiful celestial triangle, so look at the moon's darker limb to see "Earthshine."
Regulus And The Moon Align With Planets (Thursday, June 22)
The crescent moon, which is currently 21% illuminated, will shine near Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo and the 21st brightest star in the entire night sky. Seventy-seven light years separate it from our solar system. Following the pair toward the northern horizon, you will see faint Mars and bright Venus.
What Is Summer Solstice?
Summer officially begins on the summer solstice. The summer solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere in June; south of the equator, it occurs in December.
The summer solstice marks the beginning of summer as defined by astronomy, per Time and Date. It's the June solstice in the Northern Hemisphere -- North America, Europe, Northern Africa, and much of Asia. Australia, New Zealand, South America, and southern Africa are all affected by the solstice in December, which is for the southern hemisphere.
The first day of summer is determined by meteorologists using a different methodology. Additionally, rather than set dates or astronomical occurrences, several nations base the start of the seasons on average temperatures.
The longest day of the year, the summer solstice, marks the start of astronomical summer. This means that as the September equinox approaches and the beginning of fall approaches, the days get shorter during the summer-very slowly at first, then at ever-larger daily intervals.
Summer days are longer in areas closer to the poles because there are more seasonal variations in day length. The longest day lasts just over 15 hours and 26 minutes in Toronto, whereas it lasts just over 13 hours and 45 minutes in Miami, located around 2000 kilometers or 1200 miles farther south.
In locations within the polar circles, the summer season is entirely or partially marked by Midnight Sun or Polar Day, when the Sun never sets.
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