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Look up tomorrow! Mars and Venus will both shine brightly in the night sky on the summer solstice – here’s how to see them
- Mars and Venus will shine in the sky when tomorrow is the first day of summer
- It will only be another month before these planets align with Mercury as well
- A ‘Da Vinci’ glow may also be visible around the Moon after the summer solstice
Lucky stargazers may spot two planets tomorrow, after many head out to celebrate the annual summer solstice.
As Wednesday officially marks the first day of summer, Mars and Venus will shine brightly in the night sky – just a month before aligning themselves with Mercury in a mini “planetary parade.”
The summer solstice occurs when the Earth’s tilt towards the sun is at its peak, making tomorrow the longest day of the year.
Venus, Mars and the moon will be visible to those in London as they move toward the western horizon around 10pm GMT, according to Stellarium Graphs.
But US-based stargazers may wait a while to see the trio clearly, as darkness sets in around 3 a.m. CST.
Venus, Mars and the moon will be visible to those in London as they move toward the western horizon around 10pm (GMT), according to Stellarium maps
Two solstice events take place every year, with a ‘summer solstice’ in June and a ‘winter solstice’ every December.
At this time, the sun is above the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere, the northernmost latitude it reaches each year.
Meanwhile, the North Pole has also tilted sharply toward the sun, extending the number of daylight hours experienced by more northerly countries.
On June 21, the UK could experience more than 16 hours of daylight, while the Arctic is likely to experience a 24-hour ‘polar day’ of full light.
In contrast, more southern countries will experience their shortest day of the year with drastically fewer hours of light.
While Venus and Mars should be visible once darkness sets in, it’s important to bring binoculars or a telescope to a good spot to watch the stars.
NASA also recommends checking the weather forecast ahead of time to find a clear area.
This should also provide an unobstructed view of the horizon, avoiding buildings and blaring city lights.
To distinguish between stars and planets, observers must look for objects that do not twinkle among the flickering stars.
The June solstice occurs when the Earth’s tilt towards the sun is at its peak, making tomorrow the longest day of the year
Reports suggest that many will also get the chance to see the moon’s eerie Da Vinci glow
But don’t worry if you miss the spectacle.
There will be another spectacle in the coming days, with the moon expected to give off an eerie Da Vinci glow.
This phenomenon is aptly named after the acclaimed Italian researcher who solved the mystery more than 500 years ago.
It occurs when sunlight is reflected off the Earth onto the surface of the Moon and then back into our eyes.
Professor Don Pollacco, University of Warwick Department of Physics, explained: ‘When the moon is a thin crescent you can often see the dark part of the moon shining faintly.
‘At first glance this seems rather mysterious, since the crescent is the part of the moon that is illuminated by the sun – so where does the light from the unlit part of the moon come from?
‘What we actually see is light from the Earth being reflected by the moon! Hence the name Earthshine.’