The angelic weathervane at St. Ann Catholic Church in Bartlett is just right for the occasion, with Monday heralding the season’s change. Not counting the western Tennessee heat that had already arrived, Monday was the official start of summer with the solstice upon us as of 5:34 p.m. Monday. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. Although it was too overcast to see the moon in Bartlett at that exact moment, Monday was also the first time since 1967 that the summer solstice and a full moon (commonly known as a strawberry moon) fell on the same date. They will not coincide again until 2062. The solstice is named for two Latin words, sol, meaning “the sun,” and sistere, meaning “to make stand.” The minimal movement of the shadow on a sun dial at noon on these dates gave the impression to our ancestors that the sun was briefly standing still. Photo by John Collins.
The angelic weathervane at St. Ann Catholic Church in Bartlett is just right for the occasion, with Monday heralding the season’s change. Not counting the western Tennessee heat that had already arrived, Monday was the official start of summer with the solstice upon us as of 5:34 p.m. Monday. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. Although it was too overcast to see the moon in Bartlett at that exact moment, Monday was also the first time since 1967 that the summer solstice and a full moon (commonly known as a strawberry moon) fell on the same date. They will not coincide again until 2062. The solstice is named for two Latin words, sol, meaning “the sun,” and sistere, meaning “to make stand.” The minimal movement of the shadow on a sun dial at noon on these dates gave the impression to our ancestors that the sun was briefly standing still. Photo by John Collins.
