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Earth At Aphelion

What are Perihelion and Aphelion?

Earth reaches its annual far point from the Sun, aphelion, on Friday, July 6, 2018. Find a brief...
Sunflower with Bees

Summer Solstice 2018: First Day of Summer

The timing of the June solstice—or, summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere—varies between June...
Sunspots

What Are Sunspots?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses sunspot activity to help in making its weather predictions. What are...
Space Weather and Solar Flares

Space Weather: Sunspots, Solar Flares & Coronal Mass Ejections

Here at the Almanac, we have long believed that solar activity can influence weather patterns here...
Welcome Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox 2018: The First Day of Spring

The spring equinox (also called the March equinox or vernal equinox) falls on Tuesday, March 20,...
Groundhog Emerging

Groundhog Day and Shadow Fun

Groundhog Day. Just a bizarre tradition involving rodents? Or, rather, marmots? Actually, Groundhog...
Eclipse Through Glasses

Solar Eclipse Safety: How to Protect Your Eyes

The great solar eclipse is now just days away. I hope you will travel to where the eclipse is total...
Total Solar Eclipse

How to Safely View the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

Is it dangerous to stare at the Sun—or, a solar eclipse? As we prepare for the 2017 total solar...
Aurora

Aurora: Nature's Light Show

The aurora borealis or northern lights is one of nature’s most dazzling events. Shimmering curtains...
Our Sun

The Influence of Solar Activity on the Weather

What is the influence of solar activity on the weather? Dr. Richard Head, who was the weather...
Autumn Leaves Montage

The Autumnal Equinox

Coming up next week is the Blood Moon. Also called the MegaMoon. Or, the Mega Harvest Moon. Or, the...
Aurora

The Sun is Flipping Out!

Look up! You can see the biggest somersault in the solar system. The sun is in the middle of a...
"Sun"sational Evening on Lake Ontario

The Sun Always Shines at Noon

Have you ever noticed that on an overcast day the sun will often break through the clouds close to ...
Total Eclipses of Sun

Next Total Eclipse of the Sun

When is the next total eclipse of the Sun? See our dates when the total solar eclipse is visible...
Solar Image

The Eight Layers of the Sun

The Sun is Hotter Than Hot! The Sun's temperature varies over time and throughout these seven...
Sun Wolf

The Gravitational Pull of the Sun

The Sun Has a Lot of Pull! The Sun makes up more than 99 percent of the total mass of the solar...
Sunlight From Space

How Fast Does the Sun Move?

The Sun Moves Ver-r-r-y Slowly The Sun is the center of our solar system, but it doesn't stay in...
Sun's Energy

How Much Energy Does the Sun Produce?

The Sun Is a Huge Ball of Energy The Sun is about 865,000 miles in diameter. That's as wide as...
Sunset

What is the Sun Made of?

What's the Sun made of? It's not solid. The Sun is composed of plasma, a material made from...
Horizon Sunset

How Old is the Sun?

The Sun is one of 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Scientists estimate that the Sun is...