Golden Hour: Summer Solstice
Join us at sunset on the West Terrace (weather permitting) to mark the start of summer with beautiful views and live musical accompaniment. Follow Griffith Observatory’s Instagram and Facebook for bonus content.
Upcoming Equinox and Solstice Events at Griffith Observatory
Summer Solstice - Sunset
Griffith Observatory marks the start of summer in the northern hemisphere with a live online talk (weather permitting) focused on the setting Sun at 8:08 p.m., PDT. Observatory staff will discuss how the Sun’s changing path across the sky causes seasonal changes and determines where the Sun sets on the western horizon. Learn more about the seasons here.
Musical Accompaniment by Jinshi Ozaki
Jinshi Ozaki will mark the first day of summer with a live performance as the Sun sets.
Ozaki is a Los Angeles-based guitarist with 30 years of professional experience playing with well-known artists all over the world. He has performed worldwide with Grammy Award-winning recording artists Kirk Whalum, Jody Watley, Keiko Matsui, Kenny Garrett, Scott Kinsey, Akira Jimbo, and sax legend Bill Perkins, as well as many other artists. He is also a signed recording artist with Crown Japan and L.A sound record. In addition, he has been a faculty member of the Musicians Institute since 2004.
Golden Hour Q&A
Q: Do you have any previous connection to Griffith Observatory?
A: I’ve visited many times, but this will be my first performance there.
Q: Have you ever performed outdoors under the sun or stars before? How does it feel?
A: Yes. I love outdoor performances—they feel open, natural, and unique every time.
Q: What’s your favorite planet or astronomical object, and why?
A: Saturn. Its rings are beautiful and iconic.
Q: If that planet or astronomical object had a theme song, what would it be?
A: Fly Me to the Moon.
Seasons
Summer begins in Earth’s northern hemisphere at 1:24 a.m., PDT, on June 21. Winter begins in the southern hemisphere at the same time. The June/summer solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its maximum declination (23.5 degrees). This is when the northern hemisphere of Earth is tilted as far toward the Sun as possible during the year.
What is Summer?
From the summer solstice until the start of autumn – the autumnal equinox in September – days become shorter and the sunset point moves south along the western horizon. This happens because the Earth’s axis is tilted 23½ degrees to its orbit. June 21 is the longest day of the year.
Support
Griffith Observatory offers a perspective like nowhere else in the city. Only from this hill can you fully take in the sky above and the city below—and the arrival of a new season is one of the finest times to appreciate it.
This summer, Griffith Observatory Foundation is celebrating everything that makes the Observatory extraordinary, including the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. Since 1935, this iconic dome is not just the home of many of the Foundation’s upcoming events. It’s at the heart of this season’s fundraising campaign.
Visit obs.la/donate to help keep the sky and stars accessible to all.
