Welcome to October, our first full month of autumn. Days are becoming shorter and nights longer. Sunrise is now after 7 a.m., and sunset is before 7 p.m. By the end of the month, sunset will come before 6 p.m.
In September we’ll see the return of Saturn to the evening sky, the harvest full Moon, some nice passes of the International Space Station, and the opposition of the planet Neptune.
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.
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.
Welcome to October, the first full month of Autumn. Nights grow significantly longer this month. By the end of October, sunset comes before 6 p.m.! Earlier darkness makes for good evening stargazing, when skies are clear. Nights are colder, but not as frigid as in winter.Â
Welcome to March! As I write this in mid-February, it sure does not look much like spring here in wintry Trout Lake. But I know change is coming as the season inevitably progresses.
