![]() The Summer Solstice is the day with the longest period of sunlight. Currently, it shifts between June 20, 21, and 22. Therefore, the solstice won’t always occur on the same day. The timing of the June solstice is not based on a specific calendar date or time it all depends on when the Sun reaches its northernmost point from the celestial equator. Of course, the Sun itself is not moving (unless you consider its own orbit around the Milky Way galaxy) instead, this change in position in the sky that we on Earth notice is caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis as it orbits the Sun, as well as Earth’s elliptical, rather than circular, orbit.ĭoes the Solstice Always Occur on the Same Day? Over the year, its path forms a sort of flattened figure eight, called an analemma. The motion referred to here is the apparent path of the Sun when one views its position in the sky at the same time each day, for example, at local noon. The June solstice is significant because the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky at this time, at which point the Sun’s path does not change for a brief period of time.Īfter the solstice, the Sun appears to reverse course and head back in the opposite direction. Also, the Sun’s track in the sky becomes higher or lower throughout the year. Due to Earth’s tilted axis, the Sun doesn’t rise and set at the same locations on the horizon each morning and evening its rise and set positions move northward or southward in the sky as Earth travels around the Sun through the year. The word “solstice” comes from the Latin solstitium-from sol (Sun) and stitium (still or stopped). (In contrast, the June solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky, marking the start of winter.) It marks the start of summer in the northern half of the globe. In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka summer solstice) occurs when the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the beginning of winter. (By longest “day,” we mean the longest period of sunlight hours.) On the day of the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year. This solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. The June solstice occurs on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 10:58 A.M. This marks the astronomical start of summer in the northern half of the globe. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the June solstice marks the astronomical start of winter, when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky.) When is the Summer Solstice? ![]() In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka summer solstice) occurs when the Sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky. Learn solstice facts, fun, and folklore! The June Solstice The solstice is celebrated by many cultures around the world. Happy summer! This year, the June solstice occurs on Wednesday, June 21, marking the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |