In just a couple of days, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will launch. At least, it’s scheduled to launch. The date was moved up considerably and with weather permitting, it’s set to leave Earth on August 30th, 2026.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 04:19 UTC (10:19 PM CST). This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse, a part of the Moon will darken as it moves through the Earth’s shadow.
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The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13.
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A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the Sun, revealing the Sun’s beautiful outer atmosphere known as the corona. The path of totality will begin in the Arctic Ocean off the Northern coast of Russia.
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The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 14:37 UTC (8:37 AM CST). This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Buck Moon because the male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon.
The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29.
Unfortunately, the full moon will obscure most of the meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few of the brighter ones. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius but can appear anywhere in the sky.
The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 23:58 UTC (5:58 PM CST). This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This moon is also known as the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon.
The June solstice occurs at 08:25 UTC (2:25 AM CST). The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude.
The June solstice is the summer solstice (the day with the longest period of daylight), while in the Southern Hemisphere it is the winter solstice (the day with the shortest period of daylight). It is also known as the northern solstice.
The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 08:46 UTC (02:46 AM CST). Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon. This rare calendar event only occurs one every few years, giving rise to the term “once in a blue moon.”
Irene W. Pennington Planetarium 