Summer Skies and a Season of Looking Up:

a self-guided writing encounter with the night sky from solstice to fall

This summer as days grow long and hot, let’s retreat into the cool night and abandon the habit of looking down. Spend some time with the night sky this summer. Look up at the supermoons, watch as the planets align, and witness the summer triangle. Consider the ancient stories that you remember about the night, the moon, the stars. Reflect upon how one navigates the dark, and contemplate the meaning of stars and planets when they are aligned. Look up to find your way, and try writing as the moon rises, in the middle of the night as you stargaze, or in the sleepy hours before dawn. This summer we gather under one sky.

Contemplate

Read this article by physics scholar Gene Tracy

Look up

As five planets align.
At the supermoons. One rose on June 13 in Greece
And another supermoon will rise on July 13. Find a place where you can see both horizons and watch the sun go down, turn, and watch the supermoon rise.
As the stars fade and the sun rises on the summer solstice at Stonehenge
At your favorite fireworks
At the Summer Triangle

Night Walks, Where to Look, and Resources

The Wildlands Conservancy
Borrego Night Sky Tours ($$, not affiliated with Elyssar Press)
Planets Visible in the Night Sky in Redlands, CA
Best Stargazing Spots in the Inland Empire
Best Night Sky Viewing Spots in Orange County
Star Gazing Palm Springs
Observatories in California

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What other celestial events are you watching? What is happening in your own backyard?

Share your photos, observations, or bits of writing with us.
Tag @elyssarpress #elyssarpress #summerskywriting #summer sky