Sky event, good from here

June solstice: the shortest day

The Sun reaches its northernmost point. In Zimbabwe this is the shortest day and the start of the long, clear winter observing season.

When: Monday, 21 June 2027, 16:10 CAT
From Zimbabwe: Good from here. The longest night of the year: a good night for a stargazing session.

The Sun in ultraviolet — Our star seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, showing hot, magnetically active regions. Never look at the Sun without a proper filter. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Solar Dynamics Observatory, Public domain (NASA).

At 16:10 CAT on 21 June the Sun is above the Tropic of Cancer. Zimbabwe has its shortest day and longest night, and the dry winter skies, with the centre of the Milky Way high overhead in the evening, make this the best season for stargazing.

Tips for watching

After dark, look for Scorpius and the bright centre of the Milky Way rising in the east.

Times are Central Africa Time, worked out for Harare; other towns in Zimbabwe differ by a few minutes. Source: Computed for Harare with Astronomy Engine.

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