Fourth of July - Spaceweather update

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WEEKEND SKY SHOW:

 

Saturn, Mars and a slender crescent Moon

are gathering together for a pretty sunset

sky show over the 4th of July weekend.

For people in the USA celebrating Independence Day,

it's a bit of heavenly charm among the smoke and flash of evening

fireworks.

 

Check

http://spaceweather.com

for the full story and sky maps.

 

EARTH AT APHELION: On the 4th of July,

you will be farther from the sun than

at any other time of the year.

Earth's orbit around the sun is not a

perfect circle, it's an ellipse, and

on July 4th, Earth is at the end of the

ellipse farthest from the sun.

Astronomers call this " aphelion. "

When we are at aphelion, the sun appears

slightly smaller in the sky (by about 1.7%)

and global solar heating is actually a

little less (by about 3.5%) than the yearly

average. This provides scant relief from

northern summer heat, however.

 

Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com explains why.