Tuesday, 10 May 2011

• Summer Celestial Events and Art

  By: Sun At Night Studios

  The summer month of June is just around the corner. This year it will bring two celestial events for sky observers; one event in the daytime and one in the night. The first event will happen on June 1^st. The partial solar eclipse will happen in the daytime and it will be best viewable in the S. Indian Ocean.

  The second event is the partial lunar eclipse that occurs on June 15^th  only six days before the summer solstice. The best viewing locations will be in South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The only time a lunar eclipse occurs is on a full moon.

  By: Sun At Night Studios

  The month of June of course brings us the Summer Solstice on the 21^st.All of these celestial events have had an impact throughout history. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. This was a time of celebration for many cultures. Eclipses have had their own myths and legends attached to them. Each celestial event has had their own affect within the arts and science genres throughout the centuries. Aristotle used the camera obscura to view solar eclipses in 384-322 BC and Dutch scientist astronomer Reinerus Gemma-Frisius revived it in 1544. Depictions of solar eclipses in art have occurred as late as the 1700’s. You can visit http://www.astronet.ru/db/xware/msg/1225789 to view the earliest known painting of a solar eclipse.

  In modern day the depictions of both the solar and lunar eclipses are popular through photography.

  By: EM Photo

  Photography is popular within the science genre. Polarized circular filters are often utilized for both kinds of eclipses. This achieves more contrast in the photo. Details pop-out; craters in the moon offer aesthetic beauty while stunning outlined shapes of the sun astound viewers. Artists continue to create compositions of eclipses and are most commonly found within the fantasy realms. Many compositions incorporate spiritual figures such as St. Benedict as seen in theCosmas Damian Asam painting mentioned above.

  By: Robin's Coloring Book

  Other mythical spirits such as faeries are widely popular.

  While the southern hemisphere can enjoy viewing the summer celestial events this June; the northern hemisphere can use these events for inspiration.

  Artists can challenge themselves by depicting scenes of these magnificent celestial bodies capturing a specific moment in time. Sun, moon and earth aligned.

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