Summer Solstice Sunset Watch – 2013
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It’s time for the 17th seasonal sunset watch!!
- When: Thursday, June 20 at 9:00pm (so come at 8:45pm)
- Actual sunset is supposed to be at 9:11pm, but at the last summer solstice we noticed that the Sun set about 10 minutes earlier than the USNO says it does, so I’ve moved the time of our sunset watch up so we don’t miss it. Last autumn the timing seemed to line up correctly – what will it do this time?
- The equinox moment is at 10:04pm… but we’re watching the sunset not the sunrise because of how the park lines up.
- Where: Solstice Park – all the way up the hill from the tennis courts (or, if you’re not in Seattle, wherever you have a view of the western horizon!)
- Who: Everyone welcome, as usual.
Sunset on September 23, 2011 Image credit: Jason Gift Enevoldsen
Come watch the winter solstice sunset at Solstice Park in West Seattle on Saturday the 22nd. We’ll see if the sunset lines up with the placed marker. I’ll be there even if it is cloudy because sometimes the Sun peeks through just as it begins to set, but if it is driving rain or sleet I’m staying home with some hot tea!
If you’re interested – here’s the timing of various celestial events from Seattle, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department:
Sun and Moon Data for One Day
The following information is provided for Seattle, King County, Washington (longitude W122.3, latitude N47.6):
Thursday 20 June 2013 Pacific Daylight Time
SUN Begin civil twilight 4:30 a.m. Sunrise 5:11 a.m. Sun transit 1:11 p.m. Sunset 9:11 p.m. End civil twilight 9:52 p.m.
MOON Moonrise 4:58 p.m. on preceding day Moonset 2:51 a.m. Moonrise 6:11 p.m. Moon transit 10:57 p.m. Moonset 3:38 a.m. on following day
Phase of the Moon on 20 June: waxing gibbous with 89% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.
Full Moon on 23 June 2013 at 4:33 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
This event is my part of the NASA’s Solar System Ambassador program, and thanks to West Seattle Blog for publicizing the last few!
Everyone is welcome, see you there!
~ A l i c e !
