The upcoming week will bring the shortest nights of the entire year across the United States, but there will still be plenty to look for in the night sky including a planetary duo glowing next to the moon.
According to AccuWeather, the 2023 astronomical summer will officially kick off on Wednesday with the solstice, which will occur at 10:57 a.m. EDT, the latest start to summer since 2019. This comes three weeks after the start of meteorological summer, which began on Thursday, June 1.
On the June solstice, the sun’s most direct rays will be focused on the Tropic of Cancer resulting in the longest day of the year for areas north of the equator. In areas north of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets on the solstice with constant daylight around the clock.
The longest day of the year will be followed by the shortest night of the year, but the brevity of the night shouldn’t deter stargazers from spending some time outdoors after nightfall as an easy-to-see astronomical event will unfold in the sky.
About an hour after sunset on Wednesday evening, the crescent moon, Venus and Mars will glow together in the western sky. This gathering will be similar to one that unfolded in May that featured the same three celestial objects, but this month, Venus and Mars will appear closer to each other.
Venus will be the brightest of the two planets, with Mars glowing dimly above and to the left of it. The crescent moon will be hanging in the sky to the right of the planetary duo. Onlookers may also be able to see a phenomenon called Earthshine, also known as the Da Vinci glow.
Earthshine is commonly seen during a crescent moon shortly after sunset or shortly before sunrise when sunlight reflecting off the Earth faintly illuminates the Earth-facing side of the moon. The effect can make for awe-inspiring photographs, especially on Wednesday night with two planets nearby. So get your cameras and telephoto lenses ready!
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