Forty-six members of the community turned out for Summer Solstice Day at Jack C. Davis Observatory on Friday, June 20.

JCDO Director Dr. Thomas Herring, staff and volunteers were on hand for the three-hour event commemorating the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Attendees mainly learned about sunspots, magnetic fields, prominences, and how and why each occur. Dr. Herring also explained the specifics of a solstice/equinox, as well as the technology behind taking photos of the Sun with telescopes.

News 4 of Reno covered the event and broadcasted their report that evening. 

To learn more about stars and planets, and other celestial happenings, attend a free Star Party at JCDO. The next one is scheduled on Saturday, June 28, at 7 p.m.   

The shadow of the Solstice Sun at "local noon," when the Sun reached its highest point in the sky for the Carson City area, is marked on the large analemma plot on the Jack C. Davis Observatory patio. The plot shows the high noon at different times of the year.