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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Valley City State University will celebrate the summer solstice with two events on Saturday, June 21.

Professor emeritus Joe Stickler, Ph.D., will offer a tour of Medicine Wheel Park and an explanation of the two solar calendars at the park from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday.

A sunny day will provide a note of special interest, with the alignment of the solar meridian calendar at the park showing local apparent noon at 1:32 p.m. The meridian calendar at Medicine Wheel Park comprises a 38-foot utility pole and rock alignment; at local apparent noon the shadow of the pole points directly north.

Then at 2 p.m. in the VCSU Planetarium on the third floor of Rhoades Science Center, a presentation of “It’s About Time” will be offered. This 40-minute presentation takes a lighthearted look at how time has been calculated since people first began observing the sun, moon and constellations.

Both the Medicine Wheel Park and Planetarium events are open to the public free of charge, with freewill offerings accepted.