The varying dates of the solstice are mainly due to the calendar system – most western countries use the Gregorian calendar which has 365 days in a normal year and 366 days in a Leap Year.Ī tropical year, the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun completely, is ca. The last time there was a June 22 solstice was in 1971. A June 22 solstice will not occur until 2203. For example, it’s on June 21 in 2015, but on June 20 in 2016.
On the other side of the planet, south of the Antarctic Circle there’s Polar Night, meaning no Sunlight at all, on the June Solstice. On the June solstice, the midnight sun is visible (weather permitting) throughout the night, in all areas from just south of the Arctic Circle to the North Pole. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the June solstice is known as the shortest day of the year, it marks the first day of astronomical winter, but the middle of winter in meteorological terms. One of the world’s oldest evidence of the Summer Solstice’s importance in culture is Stonehenge in England, a megalithic structure which clearly marks the moment of the June Solstice. Over the centuries, the June solstice has inspired countless festivals, midsummer celebrations and religious holidays. On the solstice, the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west, meaning it’s visible in the sky for a longer period of time.Īlthough the June solstice marks the first day of astronomical summer, it’s more common to use meteorological definitions of seasons, making the solstice midsummer or midwinter. The point on the horizon where the sun appears to rise and set, stops and reverses direction after this day. ‘Solstice’ (Latin: ‘solstitium’) means ‘sun-stopping’. It’s also known as the northern solstice because it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. On the June solstice it reaches its northernmost point and the Earth’s North Pole tilts directly towards the sun, at about 23.5 degrees. The date varies between June 20 and June 22.Ī solstice happens when the sun’s zenith is at its furthest point from the equator. The June solstice is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice the Southern Hemisphere. JUNE SOLSTICE: LONGEST AND SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR
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