The month of June 2011 will begin with a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, June 1 and a total lunar eclipse is slated for the night of Wednesday, June 15.
Eclipses in June 2011
The partial solar eclipse in June will be witnessed by only a few because it will be primarily visible in the Arctic regions. The greatest magnitude for the partial solar eclipse is expected to occur at 21:16 UT for north polar regions. The northern fringes of North America, Europe, and Asia will be able to view the moon partially obscure the sun. Since a total eclipse will not occur during this event, eye protection will be required for individuals who opt to view the eclipse.
A total lunar eclipse will occur on June 15, and it will be visible to people in eastern Africa and the Middle East. Partial stages of the eclipse will be visible in much of the rest of the world; however, none of the eclipse is visible in North America. While North Americans won't be able to witness Earth's shadow pass in front of the moon, they will be able to see the full moon on that date. Sometimes called the Strawberry Moon, June's full moon occurs at 4:14 p.m. EDT. This full moon will also put a damper on the Lyrid Meteor Shower, which is expected to peak on the same date.
Planets in June 2011
During May 2011, four planets hung close together in the morning sky, leaving Saturn alone in the evening sky. Saturn is still visible in the night sky and this will continue to be the case throughout the month. Situated in the constellation Virgo, Saturn will be quite close to a star named Porrima. Saturn's rings are 7.29 degrees from edgewise on June 7, their minimum appearance for the year.
Saturn is an excellent target for telescopes, showing its ring and the shadow the ring creates across the front of the planet plus the shadow on the rings caused by the planet where the rings begin to circle behind Saturn. Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is also visible through telescopes. A storm is currently raging on Saturn; it may be visible to owners of large telescopes as a streak across the planet's northern hemisphere.
Saturn won't be alone all month. Mercury joins the evening sky for the second half of June, shining brightly at magnitude -1.5 low in the west in the sunset's glow. By the end of the month, Mercury will have climbed higher from the horizon but dimmed a bit, to -0.5. Mercury will create a straight line when it aligns with the stars Pollux and Castor on June 29, 2011.
The June Solstice and the First Day of Summer
For those in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs at 1:16 p.m. EDT on June 21. The sun has given the appearance that it is traveling south in our sky, and on this date it will look as if the sun is standing still. Slowly, slowly, over the coming weeks, the sun will begin to inch back toward the north for the autumnal equinox.
Source:
- Celeston's The Sky planetarium software.
Kelly Whitt - I have been a professional writer for more than a decade, covering many topics from science-based articles to do-it-yourself home ...
