Full Moon Bonfire – Monday June 20

Monday June 20
Sunset – 8:31 pm
Moonrise – 8:40 pm ~ Full Strawberry Moon ~

The weather cooperated for a nice bonfire for May. Welcome in summer with our June Full Moon Bonfire on Monday June 20.

Come on down for a time of visiting and enjoying the beauty of Seabrook Island at night. We’ll gather just north of Boardwalk 6.

To keep things simple, everyone brings what they want: food, drinks, chairs and a stick of firewood for a big bonfire. Nothing will be provided but a beautiful beach, a bonfire and, hopefully, a full moon.

It’s turtle nesting season so the fire will be out by 10:00pm.

Put these dates for the Full Moon Bonfires on your calendar:

Tuesday, July 19
Thursday, August 18
Friday, September 16

There’s always plenty of room on the beach for everyone, so invite a friend or bring your house guests.

Other Lunar / Full moon fun facts:

How the Full Moon got its name (per Farmers Almanac)

June: Full Strawberry Moon – The Algonquin tribes knew this moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.I found another web site (http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonnames.htm) This site gives these names for other cultures:
Colonial American: Rose Moon
Chinese: Lotus Moon
American Indian (Cherokee): Green Corn Moon
American Indian (Choctaw): Windy Moon
American Indian (Dakotah Sioux): Moon When Berries are Ripe
Celtic: Moon of Horses
English Medieval: Dyan Moon
Neo Pagan: Planting Moon

Since June 20 is also the Summer Solstice, this month’s “fun facts” are 11 things about the June Solstice (http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/facts-about-june-solstice.html)

In many time zones in the Northern Hemisphere, June 20, 2016, will be the longest day of the year. Here are 11 facts you might not know about the June Solstice.
It’s both Summer & Winter Solstice: In the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight, the June Solstice is also called the Summer Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, on the other hand, it is the shortest day of the year and is known as the Winter Solstice.
It’s the First Solstice of the Year: Solstices happen twice a year – in June and December. The June Solstice happens around June 21, when the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. The December Solstice takes place around December 21. On this day, the sun is precisely over the Tropic of Capricorn.
The sun seems to stand still: Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning ‘sun’ and sistere, meaning ‘to come to a stop or stand still’. On the day of the June Solstice, the sun reaches its northern-most position, as seen from the Earth. At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again. The opposite happens during the December Solstice. Then, the sun reaches its southern-most position in the sky – the Tropic of Capricorn – stands still and then reverses its direction towards the north.
It occurs at the same time……all over the world. Technically, the June Solstice is the exact instant of time when the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. In 2016, this will happen on June 20 at 22:35 UTC. Because of time zones differences, the event will take place on June 21 at locations that are more than one and a half hours ahead of UTC. That includes all of Europe, Russia and Asia.
It can be on June 20, 21 or 22: Even though most people consider June 21 as the date of the June Solstice, it can happen anytime between June 20 and June 22. June 22 Solstices are rare – the last June 22 Solstice in UTC time took place in 1975 and there won’t be another one until 2203.
It’s the first day of summer…depending on whom you ask. Astronomers and scientists use the date of the June Solstice to mark the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. For meteorologists on the other hand, summer began almost three weeks ago, on June 1.
The earth is farthest from the sun: One might think that since it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth is closest to the sun during the June Solstice. But it’s the opposite – the Earth is actually farthest from the sun during this time of the year. In fact, the Earth will be on its Aphelion a few weeks after the June Solstice. The earth’s orbit around the sun has very little effect over the seasons on earth. Instead, it the tilt of earth’s rotational axis, which is angled at around 23.4 degrees, that creates seasons. The direction of earth’s tilt does not change as the earth orbits the sun – the two hemispheres point towards the same direction in space at all times. What changes as the earth orbits around the sun is the position of the hemispheres in relation to the sun – the Northern Hemisphere faces towards the sun during the June Solstice, thus experiencing summer. The Southern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun and therefore enjoys winter during this time.
The earliest sunrise of the year doesn’t happen on this day: The earliest sunrise take place days before the June Solstice. Even though the June Solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, most places do not see the earliest sunrise of the year on this day. The earliest sunrise happens a few days before and the latest sunset takes place a few days after the June Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, where this day marks the Winter Solstice, the earliest sunset happens a few days before the solstice, and the latest sunrise occurs a few days after it. This happens because of the imbalance between time measured using clocks and time measured by a sundial.
Not usually the hottest day of the year: In fact, the hottest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere usually comes a few weeks or sometimes months after the Solstice. This is because it takes time for the oceans and landmasses to warm up, which again allows for higher air temperatures. This phenomenon is called the delay or lag of the seasons.
The Arctic Circle has 24 Hours of Daylight: The June Solstice is the only day of the year when all locations inside the Arctic Circle experience a continuous period of daylight for 24 hours. Due to atmospheric refraction, however, the midnight sun is visible for a few days before and on the June Solstice from areas as far as 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of the Arctic Circle. As one moves further north of the Arctic Circle, the number of days with the midnight sun increase. On the Antarctic Circle, there is 24 hours of nighttime on the June Solstice. Just as with the Northern Hemisphere, any location south of the Antarctic Circle has polar night several days before the June Solstice.
It’s celebrated around the world – The June Solstice holds a special place of celebration in many cultures. People around the world celebrate the day with feasts, picnics, dance, and music.

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-Submitted by Judy Morr