Summer is finally here.
The summer solstice – the precise moment when the sun is at its highest point in the sky each year – is Wednesday, June 21, at 10:58 a.m. EDT. In reality, it has felt like summer for several weeks across portions of the U.S., and meteorologists consider summer the hottest three months of the year (June, July and August).
The solstice marks the beginning of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This day is known as the “longest” because it sees the most hours of daylight of the year.
But typically, the real heat is yet to come: On average, there is a one-month lag between the solstice and peak summer temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. That’s why July is almost always the hottest month of the year in most locations.
On Wednesday, the sun will be directly above the Tropic of Cancer. That’s the farthest north the sun moves in the sky, which is why the days close to the solstice have the most daylight of the year.
What is the summer solstice?
Earth has seasons because of its tilted axis. As the planet rotates around the sun, the axis continues to point in the same direction.
The summer solstice occurs when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. During the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and experiences the maximum intensity of its rays.
But that’s not the only celestial event happening on the solstice this year.
Shortly after sunset on Wednesday, the waxing crescent moon will be joined by the planets Venus and Mars, which will create a beautiful spectacle in the western sky.
Venus and Mars cluster with the moon
Venus – which is usually one of the brightest objects in the night sky – is approaching its brightest phase. The moon and the planets Jupiter and Mars – and occasionally Mercury – are the only natural objects that are bright enough to sometimes outshine Venus when they’re above the horizon.
When to look
Looking northwest approximately 40 minutes after sunset, a brilliant Venus will appear just below the moon and the dimmer Mars will be nearby.
One reason is that Mars is dimmer is because it’s only about half the size of Venus and is also currently 200 million miles from Earth, compared to just 53 million miles for Venus, according to Space.com’s Joe Rao.
Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion will also be near the cluster, to the upper left of Mars. “Regulus was noteworthy to ancient skywatchers as it was one of the four ‘royal’ stars, which were supposed long ago to rule over the four quarters of the heavens,” Rao said.
SOURCE National Weather Service; EarthSky.org; NASA
