The summer solstice is an annual astronomical phenomenon that brings the longest day of the year and the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest night. The solstice was an important cultural event in many ancient societies, and it remains one for some contemporary groups. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere will occur on June 21 at a. As Earth orbits the sun over the course of each year, its axis always points at the same direction in space. That means the Northern Hemisphere is angled toward the sun for half the year and angled away from the sun for the other half. The moment when the North Pole is nearest to the sun is called the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the time of year when the North Pole points farthest from the sun is called the winter solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, the solstices are reversed. The winter solstice there comes in late June and the summer solstice in late December.
The solstice through history
Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice
The summer solstice occurs at the moment the earth's tilt toward the sun is at a maximum. Therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest elevation with a noontime position that changes very little for several days before and after the summer solstice. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, which is located at For every place north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and this is the longest day of the year. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.
What is the astronomical basis of the summer solstice?
The summer solstice , also known as estival solstice or midsummer , occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere Northern and Southern. For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight.
We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The summer solstice is upon us: Friday, June 21 is the longest day of , and the start of the summer season, for anyone living north of the equator. Google is marking the day with a Google Doodle. If pagan rituals are your thing, this is probably a big moment for you. If not, the solstice is still pretty neat. Technically speaking, the summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, or This will occur at exactly am Eastern on Friday the 21st.
