Mooning over the Sun

For those sun worshipers who balk at even the tiniest cloud, there is the solemn solace of solstice. Precisely, solstice refers to either of two points on the sun’s ecliptic at which it is farthest north or farthest south of the equator, or the time the sun reaches either of these two points. Summer solstice is the moment at which the earth passes closest to the sun, but it also refers to that entire day-the longest of the year. Our solstice occurs on June 21, when the sun will rise at an abrupt 5:19 a.m. and remain above the horizon until 8:39 p.m. The sun sets at its latest-8:40 p.m.-June 27 through July 2. Creatures of the night, whoever you are, may be more interested in the dates June 2, July 2 and 31, and August 30-they’re full moons.