Looking Ahead

Aircraft carrier auction

Forget sports cars and speedboats. Buyers with money to burn can't afford to miss the auctioning of the United Kingdom's former flagship, the light aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Britain's Defense Ministry will take bids on the once-proud flagship until June 13 after decommissioning her in March.

Lunar eclipse

Only a select part of the world will be able to see the entirety of the June 15 lunar eclipse. But what inhabitants of eastern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and western Australia do see will be smaller. That's because, according to a Smithsonian Institute scientist, the Moon is shrinking. Scientists blame the slight shrinkage on cooling of the Moon's core.

U.S. Open

Despite re-aggravating knee and Achilles injuries during the Players Championship in May, Tiger Woods will be on hand looking for his first major victory since the sex scandal that derailed his career in 2009. This year, golfers will tee off on June 16 for a U.S. Open that will be held at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., for only the third time-and the first time since 1997.

Father's Day

Around the nation on June 19, dads will open Father's Day presents. But a study from the National Retail Federation indicates that when it comes to parental holidays, men get the short end of the stick. The NRF estimates that Americans spend on average $94.32 for Father's Day and $126.90 for Mother's Day.

Chirac case resumes

Having lost a constitutional challenge, former French President Jacques Chirac on June 20 will return to trial, where he faces multiple charges of misusing public funds before his term as president while he was mayor of Paris.

IAEA talks end

The International Atomic Energy Agency will hold ministerial-level meetings that conclude June 24. The 151 member nations are trying to form comprehensive emergency response plans to deal with nuclear disasters like the one at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.