Six-Planet Alignment Visible Across Tennessee on June 3

Issue #106

02 Jun

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🌤 Columbia Weather - Partly cloudy with a high of 83

🪐 Six-Planet Alignment Visible Across Tennessee on June 3

📰 Maury County to Receive $2.56 Million in Grants for Broadband Expansion

🎸 Monday: Live Music at Just Love Coffee Cafe in Spring Hill

🎳 TODAY: Bowling For Beds Fundraiser at Tenn Pinn Alley 

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details! 

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Sunday, June 2nd

Monday, June 3rd

Tuesday, June 4th

Wednesday, June 5th

Friday, June 7th

Saturday, June 8th

Six-Planet Alignment Visible Across Tennessee on June 3

If you missed the solar eclipse in April or the northern lights, another celestial event is coming up that you won’t want to miss. On June 3, six planets — Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — will align in the sky. This planetary alignment, also known as a "planet parade," will be visible from many parts of the world, including Tennessee.

This alignment occurs when planets gather closely on one side of the sun. These alignments can vary in size:

  • Mini planetary alignment: 3 planets

  • Small planetary alignment: 4 planets

  • Large planetary alignment: 5 or 6 planets

  • Great or full planetary alignment: all solar system planets

In Tennessee, the planets Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye around 5 a.m. Central Time, with Mercury and Jupiter appearing very low in the sky. Clear skies are essential to see Mercury and Jupiter, as they only rise about 6 degrees above the horizon before the sun comes up around 5:30 a.m.

Using binoculars or telescopes is recommended for the best viewing experience. While Mars and Saturn can be seen without any optical aids, binoculars will be needed to spot Uranus and Neptune, though Neptune may be hard to distinguish from stars.

June 3 offers the optimal viewing time for Jupiter and Mercury, but these planets will still be visible on June 4. On this day, they will be extremely close together, and with clear skies and a telescope, observers can see both planets and Jupiter's four large moons at once.

If you decide to do some star-gazing, you may find the Star Walk astronomy app useful. 

Maury County to Receive $2.56 Million in Grants for Broadband Expansion

fiber optic light image with red hue on black background. Ideal image to depict broadband, technology, speed and cable infrastructure.

State Rep. Scott Cepicky recently announced that Maury County will receive $2.56 million in grant funding to enhance broadband availability and access to high-quality digital jobs. These grants are part of a larger $162.7 million funding initiative administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), aimed at providing broadband access and digital opportunity programs to over 236,000 Tennesseans across 92 counties.

Cepicky emphasized the importance of reliable, high-speed internet for strengthening education, workforce development, and the local economy. He expressed optimism about the positive impact these investments will have on Maury County.

The grants for Maury County include:

  • Spectrum Southeast: $191,788 to expand broadband access through the Middle Mile program.

  • Maury County: $2 million for improving digital access by constructing or renovating facilities through the Connected Community Facilities (CCF) program.

  • Maury County: $100,000 to expand digital skills training and broadband infrastructure via the Broadband Ready Communities (BRC) program.

  • The Village at Glencliff: $272,897 to advance digital skills and workforce development, benefiting parts of Maury and 13 other counties through the Digital Skills, Education, and Workforce (DSEW) program.

TNECD's latest broadband infrastructure grants will provide access to more than 58,200 Tennesseans in 37 counties. Overall, the department has invested over $715 million to expand broadband infrastructure, connecting more than 689,000 Tennesseans across 275,000 residential and business locations.

All grant projects are required to be completed by December 31, 2026.

Monday: Live Music at Just Love Coffee Cafe in Spring Hill

Join us at Just Love Coffee Cafe in Spring Hill on Monday, June 3rd, for an unforgettable evening of live music, food, and fellowship! The FRIENDS Tour kickoff show will feature phenomenal performances by Dia Viola, Jordan Blaine, Katy Reynolds, and Jonathan Cyphers. Doors open at 6 pm, and the show starts at 6:30 pm. Make sure to come early and indulge in delicious food and beverages. This event is free and donation-based, so invite your friends and family to experience this incredible evening with us! 

4816 Main Street
Spring Hill, TN 37174

TODAY: Bowling For Beds Fundraiser at Tenn Pinn Alley

On June 2nd, we're hosting a fundraiser for a wonderful cause.

For $30/person you get up to 3 games of bowling, shoes & 2 slices of pizza. The best part is that your participation helps fund beds for children in need.

To learn more about Sleep in Heavenly Peace check out their facebook page or watch this heartwarming clip of when SHP was featured on Returning the Favor with Mike Rowe!

Sunday, June 2nd
2:00 - 5:00 PM
730 Mooresville Pike, Columbia

🎵 This Week’s Live Music 🎵

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