Earliest sunrises before summer solstice, plus predawn planets
13 Jun 2011, 08:01 UTC
If you live in the northern hemisphere, your earliest sunrises are happening around now - about a week before the summer solstice. Plus see the predawn planets!
Total eclipse of the moon on night of June 15
At mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere, the earliest sunrises of the year are happening now, despite the fact that the summer solstice – the year’s longest day – is still a week away. And If you live at middle latitudes in the southern hemisphere, the earliest sunsets are taking place, even though the winter solstice – the year’s shortest day – isn’t for another week.
For those of you who are privileged enough to be outdoors before one of these early sunrises, you’ll find some of the most beautiful dawn twilights of the year … and, in 2011, you’ll also find a string of morning planets in the eastern sky. From top to bottom, these worlds are Jupiter, Mars and Venus. Venus is the brightest, followed by Jupiter, then Mars.
The exact date of earliest sunrise varies with latitude. At 40 degrees north latitude – the latitude of, say, Denver in Colorado – the earliest sunrise of the year will happen ...
