Spring Winds Down

2014, so far, has given us a real winter and now a lovely spring and it appears the summer heat and humidity will build into the start of the fast approaching hottest season. Much of the spring has been the typical 4 day cycle: cold front with a shot at some rain, clearing with a cool northern wind, then northwest, west and finally the warm air on the backside of the high with moisture from the southwest and another front to start it again. A few more Canadian maritime wedges of cool air banked against the Blue Ridge than I remember from years past have added to the spring conditions and kept the heat at bay. The week ahead is looking like the next front is going to stall a little farther north than previously and warm and muggy with a chance of showers will be the forecast, for the week.  Summer gets here at 6:51am EDT on the 21st as the sun stands still over the Tropic of Cancer, its northernmost appearance of the year. While the sun will rise and set farther and farther to the south from that point on, the cooking of the northern hemisphere will continue and the heat will build; we longed for it back in the winter and it's coming.  Think cool!
The 4 planet "cool" of the early dark sky is fading as Mercury is lost in the sun's glare, passing between the earth and sun on the 19th, inferior conjunction. Jupiter, Mars and Saturn still make for very nice viewing in the late twilight near the solstice. Jupiter, still hanging with the twins of Gemini, is fading fast, dipping lower and lower in the west as darkness settles, will be behind the sun from earth toward the end of July. Mars, still obviously rusty but dimming as our planet pulls away from it, continues to dance with Spica in Virgo and tonight and tomorrow both will share the sky with the waxing gibbous moon. Saturn, not far off to the east and golden compared to Mars' rust, will dance with the moon early next week as it sits between the two bright stars of Libra.  Put on something to keep the bugs away and check out the spectacular ecliptic, the dance floor of the planets and zodiacal constellations.
In shaky, erupting planet news, we're talking Earth here, so, there are shakes and while the volcano list is a little smaller than normal (only 13) those 13 are oozing lava, blasting gas, rolling lahars and otherwise giving notice in their surroundings to watch out.  Pavlov in Alaska has moved into the red alert zone as lava flows make it something to pay attention to (wouldn't want to fly a plane into that mess). Oklahoma quakes continue in the world of fracking (get all the oil/gas no matter the long - or short term costs).  Mostly it's plate boundary action on earthquake planet and none too strong.  That will always change. Hang on and enjoy your ride, today on Earth.