By AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer
Updated May. 31, 2021 6:03 PM EDT
June features the shortest nights of the entire year north of the equator, but the biggest astronomy event of the month will unfold after the sun has climbed above the horizon over part of the globe.
This is also one of the only months during which rare noctilucent clouds, which float 50 miles above the Earth’s surface, can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere. This is significantly higher than many other clouds or the altitude at which airplanes fly.
Noctilucent clouds, also known as night clouds, are seen from the village of Negnevichi, 140 kilometers (87 miles) west of Minsk, Belarus, late Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Noctilucent clouds are thin and forming high above the Earth at heights of 70-90 kilometres, so they can only be seen at twilight, shining after the sunset. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Noctilucent clouds are sometimes called “electric blue clouds” due to their color and the way that they shimmer in the sky after sunset or before sunrise. These unique clouds can only be seen in the far Northern Hemisphere in the weeks surrounding the June solstice due to the angle of the sunlight entering the atmosphere.
“These clouds actually form around particles left behind by meteors," AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said. "Super cold water droplets freeze on the meteor debris and form ice. These clouds are made purely of ice."
There is no specific date to look for these clouds, but there are several dates to mark on the June calendar so that you don’t miss the top three astronomy events of the month:
1. “Ring of Fire” Solar Eclipse
When: June 10
A little over two weeks after the sun, Earth and moon aligned to create a lunar eclipse, the three celestial objects will align again, but in a different order, to create a solar eclipse.
As the sun rises on Thursday, June 10, the moon will begin to block out the sun over part of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Onlookers in cities such as Boston, Montreal and Quebec City may briefly be able to see a partial solar eclipse.
Most of Europe will also be able to see a partial solar eclipse around midday, local time.
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Proper eye protection is necessary to see this event as looking directly at the sun can lead to serious, permanent eye damage, even if part of it is blocked by the moon. This includes a solar filter or specially made eclipse glasses.
The upcoming eclipse will be an annular solar eclipse, sometimes called a “Ring of Fire” eclipse, as it takes place when the moon is farther away from the Earth than normal, meaning that it is not quite big enough to block out the entirety of the sun.
This is different from a total solar eclipse when the moon blocks out the entire sun, causing day to turn to night for a few fleeting moments.
However, the only areas that will be able to see the ring of fire in the sky are the unpopulated areas of northern Canada, northwestern Greenland and far eastern Russia.
An annular solar eclipse is seen formed over the sky of Myanmar's ancient historic city of Bagan Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)
Another solar eclipse is set to unfold on Dec. 4, but will not be witnessed by many humans as it will only be visible from Antarctica.
2. June Solstice
When: June 20, 11:32 p.m. EDT
Summer officially kicks off in June, but the date that marks the start of the new season depends on the definition.
Forecasters often use meteorological seasons, three-month periods that are the same year in and year out, with meteorological summer always starting on June 1 and ending on Aug. 31.
This is different than astronomical summer, which varies year to year depending on the precise time of the June solstice and the September equinox. This year, astronomical summer starts on June 20 at 11:32 p.m. EDT and ends on Sept. 22 at 3:21 p.m. EDT.
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During the June solstice, the sun’s most direct rays are shining directly on the Tropic of Cancer, making it the longest day of the entire year for the Northern Hemisphere.
Summer is also the longest season of the entire year, lasting 93 days, 15 hours and 49 minutes, according to TimeAndDate.com.
After the June solstice, the days in the Northern Hemisphere will slowly but surely get shorter while the days gradually grow longer in the Southern Hemisphere until the December equinox on Dec. 21.
3. Final supermoon of 2021
When: June 24-25
The third and final supermoon of 2021 is set to rise just one night before the final weekend of June, illuminating the night for summer activities such as campfires and sleeping under the stars.
April featured the first of the trio of supermoons, followed by another in May that also coincided with a total lunar eclipse. An encore of the lunar eclipse is not in the offing this month, but the moon will still appear slightly bigger and brighter than other full moons throughout the balance of the year.
The supermoon is seen setting behind the San Jacinto Mountains early Thursday morning, May 27, 2021, near Palm Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Cliff Schiappa)
Even when it's not a supermoon, June’s full moon is often called the Strawberry Moon as it is the time of year to gather ripe strawberries, The Old Farmer’s Almanac reports.
Other nicknames for June’s full moon include the Hot Moon, the Blooming Moon and the Green Corn Moon.
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