Blogtrek

Summer Nights

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which some say is the beginning of summer. According to the sun, it is mid-summer, since it is the day when the daylight is the longest. For the next six months, the day will get shorter until mid-winter on December 21. Because of lag caused by the atmosphere, summer weather will continue for the next three months. With it come hot days and mild summer nights.

Summer nights are one of my favorite times. You can go out without putting on a jacket. Nature is chiming a chorus of bugs and night birds and creatures. Summer nights are good for taking a walk in the neighborhood. Often there is a mild wind blowing. It reminds me of nights in the past of summer camps and night parties. Of course the stars are up there, and it is comfortable to look at them, although the night is short.

I went to a sky watch program last night as part of our local astronomy club activities. It was a beautifully clear night with the only clouds at sunset making that brilliant and hot-looking. The wind was blowing, which felt good but interfered with observations. I showed the public first Jupiter, which was in twilight skies - I could not make out the four big satellites, and then I showed Venus, in a gibbous phase. After Venus went into the trees, I showed the moon with its craters and seas. The biggest surprise was finding out that two people who I had known for some time separately had met and were going out with each other. The one thing I did not like was that few stars were visible, due to city light pollution and a nearly full moon.