Summer Solstice: The summer solstice is right here. What to know about the longest day of the year

Peak sunshine has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere – the summer solstice. Friday is the longest day of the year north of the equator, the place the solstice marks the begin of astronomical summer. It’s the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere, the place it is the shortest day of the year and winter will begin. The phrase “solstice” comes from the Latin phrases “sol” for solar and “stitium”, which might imply “pause” or “stop.” The solstice is the finish of the solar’s annual march increased in the sky, when it makes its longest, highest arc. The dangerous information for solar lovers: It then begins retreating, and days will get a bit of shorter each day till late December. People have marked solstices for aeons with celebrations and monuments, together with Stonehenge, which was designed to align with the solar’s paths at the solstices. But what is occurring in the heavens? Here’s what to know about the Earth’s orbit. Solstices are when days and nights are at their most excessive. As the Earth travels round the solar, it does so at an angle relative to the solar. For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted both towards or away from the solar. That means the solar’s light and heat fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. The solstices mark the instances throughout the year when this tilt is at its most excessive, and days and nights are at their most unequal. During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, the higher half of the Earth is tilted towards the solar, creating the longest day and shortest night time of the year. This solstice falls between June 20 and 22. Meanwhile, at the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the solar, main to the shortest day and longest night time of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23. The equinox is when there is an equal quantity of day and night time. During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up in order that each hemispheres get an equal quantity of daylight. The phrase equinox comes from two Latin phrases, which means equal and night time. That’s as a result of on the equinox, day and night time final nearly the similar quantity of time, although one might get a number of further minutes, relying on the place you’re on the planet. The Northern Hemisphere’s spring, or vernal, equinox sometimes happens between March 19 and 21, relying on the year. Its fall, or autumnal, equinox can land between September 21 and 24. On the equator, the solar will likely be instantly overhead at midday. Equinoxes are the solely time when each the north and south poles are lit by sunshine at the similar time. What’s the distinction between meteorological and astronomical seasons? These are simply two other ways to carve up the year. While astronomical seasons rely on how the Earth strikes round the solar, meteorological seasons are outlined by the climate. They break down the year into three-month seasons based mostly on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring begins on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on September 1, and winter on December 1.