People throng Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, UK, throughout the summer time solstice
Graham Hunt/Alamy
Today, 21 June, is the June solstice. Also generally known as the summer time solstice within the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice within the southern hemisphere, the June solstice marks the time at which the solar is instantly above the Tropic of Cancer.
This is the furthest north the solar reaches all year long, and it marks the northern hemisphere’s longest day of the yr – and the shortest day within the southern hemisphere.
When is the June solstice 2023?
The solstice isn’t technically a day, however a time. It normally occurs on 21 or 22 June, and this yr it is on 21 June at 3.57pm BST.
What causes the June solstice?
Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted by 23.5 levels with respect to the airplane it orbits across the solar. This is why we have now seasons – throughout summer time within the northern hemisphere, the north pole is tilted in the direction of the solar, and throughout summer time within the southern hemisphere, the south pole is tilted in the direction of the solar.
The June solstice marks the second throughout the yr when the north pole reaches its most tilt in the direction of the solar.
There is one other solstice in December, when the identical occurs for the south pole. The June solstice is additionally the start of astronomical summer time within the northern hemisphere.
What is astronomical summer time?
There are two methods to outline when the seasons start and finish – meteorological and astronomical. In the northern hemisphere, meteorological summer time begins on 1 June, however astronomical summer time begins on the day of the June solstice.
How many hours of sunshine will I’ve on the solstice?
The variety of hours of daylight is dependent upon your latitude. On the June solstice, locations within the Arctic circle have 24 hours of sunshine, whereas in tropical areas close to the equator, the longest day is simply over 12 hours. The additional you might be from the equator, the extra dramatic the distinction in day size will get between winter and summer time. In the Antarctic, the solar gained’t rise on the June solstice.
Where does the identify come from?
The time period solstice comes from two Latin phrases: sol, which means “sun”, and sistere, which means “to stand still”.
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