Community Invited to Summer Solstice Day at JCDO

Western Nevada College News

Learn about the hottest topic there is this time of the year - the Sun - as well as the solstice and science, during the first day of summer on Friday, June 20, at Western Nevada College's Jack C. Davis Observatory.

Celebrate Summer Solstice Day, the longest day of the year and the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, with free safe solar telescope viewing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"The start of summer wouldn't be the same without the annual solstice celebration put on by Dr. Herring and his volunteers at the observatory," said WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe. "A visit to Jack C. Davis Observatory is a great way for the community to start the summer!"

Using telescopes, attendees will be able to safely view and learn about the solar system.

"It's very likely, given recent solar activity, that we will see sunspots and prominences," said JCDO Director Dr. Thomas Herring.

One of the other highlights of the event will be the observation of "local noon," which is when the Sun will be at its highest point in the sky for the Carson City area.

"We'll have the youngest person present who can safely and accurately use a marker, mark the shadow of the Solstice Sun on our large analemma (a plot on the observatory patio showing the position of the Sun at noon throughout different times of the year)," Dr. Herring said.

In case of bad weather, visitors are welcome inside JCDO, and Dr. Herring will answer questions from attendees.

On Friday evening at 7:42 PDT, summer officially arrives.

"It's the moment that the Sun is located directly above the Tropic of Cancer (also known as the Northern Tropic), which is an imaginary line of latitude at about 23.5 degrees north of the equator," Dr. Herring said. "It's the northernmost point on the Earth where the Sun can appear directly overhead, which happens at the June Solstice."