On June 21, countries in the Northern Hemisphere are nearest to the Sun.
It's literally the big day for all summer lovers! Because June 21, known as the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year and is officially the start of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It is an astronomical phenomenon where the Sun reaches its highest as well as the northernmost point in the sky. And it provides us with more amounts of sunlight throughout the day.
The word 'solstice' comes from the Latin words 'sol' (meaning Sun) and 'sistere' (meaning to come to a stop). And hence, it means 'sun stands still' in Latin. On this day, the Sun stands still at the Tropic of Cancer and does not move north or south unlike on other days. According to NASA, the Earth receives around 30% more energy from the Sun on this day. Notably, while June 21 is the year's longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, it's the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere and is known as the winter solstice.
Since ancient times, the summer solstice has been celebrated in various cultures with the greatest fervor. People go out and visit popular spots, engage in outdoor activities, and appreciate the sunlight that keeps us alive yet is usually taken for granted.
The Earth’s axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane around the Sun. According to NASA, the changing seasons on Earth happen due to its tilted axis. For instance, when the North Pole tilts towards the Sun, it causes summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and when the South Pole is tilted towards the Sun, it indicates winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
On June 21, the Northern Hemisphere gets tilted directly towards the Sun, causing the maximum daylight hours. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the tilt "results in the land covered by sunlight having a greater area than the land covered by darkness".
Notably, several regions in the Arctic, such as parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Scandinavia get continuous daylight for days or weeks before and after June 21. This phenomenon is known as the 'midnight sun'.
Besides the summer solstice that happens on June 21, there's another solstice named the December solstice that takes place around December 21. The Sun stands over the Tropic of Capricorn on this day.
While the summer solstice takes place on June 21, it can also happen on June 20 or June 22 in some exceptional cases.
On this day, the sun’s path across the sky is curved, and not a straight line.
Contrary to popular belief, June 21 is not usually the hottest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. On the other hand, it gets neither the earliest sunrise (which happens a couple of weeks before) nor the latest sunset (which happens a few weeks after).
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On this day, thousands of people from across the world gather at Stonehenge (an ancient monument in Wiltshire, England) to witness the sunrise.
