“The retreat brings people together, builds community in the forest, gets participants outside and off their screens, and uses nature sustainably to heal and inspire minds and souls,” stated Great Mountain Forest Executive Director Michael Zafros. Retreat registration closes on July 30.
On July 1, the Full Thunder Moon rises in the east-southeast at 8 p.m. It is the first of two full moons in July – the next occurs on the 31st. This atypical celestial phenomenon is known as a “blue moon” and occurs once every two – three years.
The longest days of the year, from Friday the 19th – Wednesday the 24th, are 15 hours 16 minutes, which leaves 8 hours 44 minutes from sundown to sunup, the shortest nights of the year. For the rest of June and through the first week of July, nights are barely 8 hours long when dawn and dusk are taken into account.
To participate virtually in the progress of NASA’s historic New Horizons flyby mission to Pluto — which is scheduled to arrive at the icy world on July 14 — download Simulation Curriculum’s free interactive exploration app, Pluto Safari for iOS and Android.
I am eager to locate Mercury as soon as it is physically possible for the eye to see it as daylight fades into twilight. It is said that the Greeks tested their eyesight in this way.
In deepening twilight, above Venus the planet Mars emerges, with its dim but steady, rusty-gold to orange light. The two planets appear closer together each evening, an exquisite show culminating on the 20th when a waxing, eyelash crescent moon joins the pair the day before their closest approach.
Uniquely, right now it is easy for relatively late risers to enjoy the beauty and wonder of celestial dawn. Beginning today and lasting through January 10, sunup in our locale is at 7:22 a.m., the latest of the year.
There was a telescope in front of the Mason Library: I thought: 'I’ll look into space to put local politics in perspective. Earth is so disheartening right now.'
