June is here, with our longest days and shortest nights. At the start of June, sunset occurs at about 8:50 p.m. On the summer solstice, June 21, the sun will set at about 9 p.m. Sunset will remain at about 9 p.m. for the rest of June. Darkness will obviously come late — on June 21 it will not get completely dark until after 11:30 p.m.
(The Center Square) – NASA unveiled nearly $1 billion in new moon base contracts Tuesday as its top official called for less reliance on taxpayer funding and a faster path to putting astronauts on Mars.
(The Center Square) – America is going back to the moon, after Artemis II lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday evening, more than five decades after Americans last set foot on the moon.
(The Center Square) – The countdown has begun, for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is launching a lunar mission in preparation for humans landing on the moon once again.
Welcome to April! If you were not able to view the March 3 Lunar eclipse, check it out on the Goldendale Observatory website, at www.goldendaleobservatory.com. Look under “special events” and you can watch a video of the entire eclipse, or a two-minute timelapse.
Our third month of the year brings us a total Lunar Eclipse, the vernal equinox, and a nice pairing of the Moon and Jupiter. Hopefully the clouds will part at the right time for viewing some of these events.
Jupiter continues to shine bright in February’s evening skies, and the winter constellations Orion and Taurus are bright on clear nights. But let’s focus on something else this winter month, called circumpolar constellations.
Happy New Year! Welcome to January. Our first month features Jupiter’s closest approach for the year, and plenty of bright stars to view. Nights will be cold and mostly cloudy, but step outside when skies clear for a stunning view, even if it is a short one!