Today:
At 11 PM, look for the bluish-white star Vega, high in the east. It is also known as Alpha Lyrae, the brightest star in Lyra, the Harp, as well as being the highest star in the Summer Triangle, Altair and Deneb. Appearing lower in the sky is perhaps a little strange for these two stars, as each is the brightest star within a constellation denoting a bird: The Eagle, in the case of Altair; and The Swan, in the case of Deneb.
Sunday:
Today is the Summer Solstice, which officially occurs at 4:25 AM EDT. At Montpelier the sun rises at 5:06 AM and sets at 8:37, resulting in 15 hours and 31 minutes of daylight, and making this the longest day of the year. The transition into shortening days is easy at first, with tomorrow shorter than today by a mere 3 seconds.
Monday:
With Summer now officially underway, look for Leo the Lion, lowering into the west as he takes his curtain call for the season. His bright star, Regulus, due west at 10 o’clock, was associated with the Summer Solstice over 5000 years ago, when the Sun passed right over the star. This has changed as the Earth’s axis very slowly pivots.