Summer Solstice: Everything to know about the longest day of the year

The day that many of us have longed for during the short, dark, cold days of winter is on its way. Sunday, June 21 is the longest day of the year, celebrated as the summer solstice. Technically, the solstice will arrive at 1:24 a.m. PT (4:24 a.m. ET) in the United States. Here are some basic facts about the coup.

What is the summer solstice?

It also explains the Farmers’ AlmanacThe solstice occurs “when the Earth reaches the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its greatest tilt” toward the Sun, about 23.5 degrees; This translates to the “longest day and shortest night” of the year. (By “longest day” we mean the longest period of sunlight hours.) The Farmers’ Almanac further explains that “on the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct corner of the year.”

The coup is not always on the same date. In 2027, it will be June 21 again, but in 2028 and 2029, it will be June 20.

The June solstice means something different to people living in the Southern Hemisphere, as it is the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter.

How much sun will you see?

The amount of sun you’ll get depends on where you live.

You can find out for your city by going to TimeAndDate.comwrite the name of your city below world clock, And click on The sun and the moon. From there click on Sunrise and sunsetthen scroll down to the table showing the number of daylight hours per day. To find out how many hours of daylight you’ll have on the solstice, make sure you select June for the month, then scroll down to the correct day.

The further north you are, the more sun you get: Minneapolis gets 15 hours and 36 minutes of sun. Seattle, it will take 15 hours and 59 minutes. Boston, 15 hours and 17 minutes. San Francisco, 14 hours and 46 minutes. Los Angeles, 14 hours and 25 minutes. Dallas, you have 14 hours and 18 minutes. Miami, 13 hours and 44 minutes. Atlanta, 14 hours and 23 minutes. Phoenix, 14 hours and 22 minutes.

And let’s talk about the Land of the Midnight Sun. Anchorage, Alaska, 19 hours and 21 minutes. But Fairbanks gets 21 hours and 49 minutes. At the state’s highest peak, in Utqiagvik, Alaska, the sun shines for 24 hours. It is worth going to them TimeAndDate.com page Just to marvel at that.

Celebrating the solstice

Some countries and cultures really celebrate the solstice. Sweden calls it Midsummer It is always celebrated on a Friday in June, so the country will celebrate the solstice on June 19 instead of June 21. Traditional ceremonies there include folk dancing, wreath making and pole raising. (And you may have seen Midsummer horror movie 2019which depicts a fantastical and very spooky midsummer celebration.)

In Seattle, home of those luxurious, traditional 16 hours of sun Solstice parade and fair It takes place on Saturday, June 20 at 1pm and features the traditional event Naked bike ride (Where cyclists wear elaborate body paint).

At the famous Stonehenge in England, people gather at the famous stone structures as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. The monument’s massive stones were created in 2500 BC to frame the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset. The British Museum notes. Note that since we are no longer in 2500 BC and dependent on cars, we strongly encourage visitors to use public transportation, and if you must drive, you should reserve parking in advance.