(Photo by Jeff Johnson)
If you missed watching the first sunset of summer at West Seattle’s Solstice Park on Saturday night with NASA Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen – you can try for a similar view tonight (the earth and sun haven’t moved that much), though it’ll be minus Alice:

(This photo and next by Eric Bell)
A crowd that peaked around 100 came to the little park upslope from the tennis courts across from north Lincoln Park for what turned out to be a glorious sunset (understatement!):

The big attraction at Solstice Park, enhancing its Sound-and-mountains view, is fourfold – four pathways, each lining up with what should be the perfect sunset view on either winter or summer solstice or spring or fall equinox.

(This and all following photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Alice asked everyone to take turns viewing via the summer-solstice-aligned path.

Then, once the sun had made its way behind the Olympic Mountains, it was time for her solstice explanation. As usual, she enlisted volunteers to help demonstrate what actually happens with the sun and earth at the solstice moment.

A second Solar System Ambassador, Dave from Lake City, offered some astronomy info too:

Here’s another gratuitous sunset shot:

And Alice shared some big news – including how thrilled she is to have an article coming up in Sky and Telescope Magazine, about stargazing with small children:

You’ll find it in the August edition, out next month. Alice also promises another of her periodic “Skies Over West Seattle” reports for WSB in July. Her own astronomy-info-filled website is at alicesastroinfo.com.

P.S. Pam at Nerd’s Eye View has published her take on Solstice Sunset View ’14 – see it here.