Today:
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.
Tuesday:
By 9:40 this evening, the Moon is nearly one third of the way up in the south-southwest. While just a few days ago the Moon’s companion was Regulus, this evening it has a new companion. As the Moon dangles just below the constellation Virgo, the Moon appears just below Virgo’s bluish and brightest star, Spica. Much higher up, the two are overseen by a bright and orange-ish star, Arcturus.