astronomy
The Night Sky WELCOME TO THE START OF OUR SUMMER SKIES HERE IN FRANCE!
T
he Summer Solstice will be on the 21st and is the time when the Sun makes its longest journey across our skies here in the northern hemisphere. The longest day and the start of summer. Even though the nights are all too short to enjoy long spells under truly dark skies we can still experience so many grand things this month. To check out when your skies will be clear and dark enough for some star gazing you can explore the website www.clearoutside.com. You can enter your own location and find out details of darkness hours, observing conditions, moon phases, International Space Station passes and lots more. It is a site I use often when planning a night out (of astronomy that is!). June will be a great month to view the return of Jupiter and Saturn in the mornings, and Venus and Mars in the evening. We can view another Supermoon towards the end of the month and a partial Solar Eclipse on the 10th - making sure of course, you NEVER look directly at the sun. The Moon and Planets this month (and a beautiful Supermoon) The second Full Supermoon of the year will be on the 24th. A Supermoon occurs when the full Moon coincides with the Moon's closests approach to Earth. This is also known as 'Lunar Perigee' when the distance
Here in France we will experience a partial eclipse when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun
of the Moon from Earth will be 359,956km. While it may not be apparent when viewing, the Supermoon will be 30% brighter than a full Moon when it is at its farthest point from the Earth. This is sometimes referred to - rather nicely I think - as a 'Minimoon'. This month's Supermoon is also known as the 'Strawberry Moon' as this is the time when strawberries begin to appear. It is always inspiring to try and catch the full Moon at these times, even if it won't be strawberry coloured! I hope others are inspired to do a little moongazing too. The exact moonrise times will of course depend on your own latitude. To check this and a host of many other things before stargazing or imaging I use the really helpful site www.telescopius.com. You can enter your details
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and find out when to get ready for the moonrise over the horizon, a view I never tire of. The New Moon this month will be on the 10th, which marks some of the best stargazing times. On the evenings of the 12th and 13th it may be possible to spot the planets Venus and Mars close to the Geminid stars Castor and Pollux while a thin crescent Moon passes by. Wait for the Sun to set and look low in the west-northwest. Early in the mornings of the 27th to the 29th a bright Gibbous Moon will pass by the planets Saturn and Jupiter. Look towards the south. Although Mars has now faded in
