The summer solstice, which marks the official start of the season and the longest day of the year, takes place this Wednesday the 21st.
The solstice is the result of the inclination of the north-south axis of the earth 23.4 degrees towards the Sun, which causes sunlight to reach different intensity in the different regions of the planet while it orbits around the sun.
The summer solstice occurs at 10:58 am ET (9:58 am CT) this Wednesday, June 21.
Here’s what you should know:
WHAT IS THE SUMMER SOLSTICE?
The summer solstice occurs at the time when the earth’s tilt toward and away from the sun is greatest. Therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest elevation with a position at noon that changes very little for several days before and after the summer solstice, explains the National Weather Service (NWS). .
The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, which is located at 23.5° north latitude and cuts across Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, and southern China. For every location north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and this is the longest day of the year, NWS explains.
It is also known as the day with the longest period of sunlight, or the longest day of the year, for those in the Northern Hemisphere.
For the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs around June 20 and 21, and the winter solstice occurs around December 21 and 22. At the solstice, the path of the Sun appears further north or south, depending on which half of the planet you are on. Seasons change on Earth because the planet is tilted slightly on its axis as it travels around the Sun, NASA explains.
It is considered to be the first day of summer in astronomical terms, although meteorological summer technically began at the beginning of the month.
On the contrary, the winter solstice, which will take place on December 21 of this year, will mark the beginning of winter.
Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field changes. These spins can cause dramatic changes in activity on the sun’s surface.
WHY IS IT CALLED SOLSTICE?
According to Adler, the word solstice “means that the arc of the Sun, or Sol, stops in the sky.”
The word has a Latin origin, coming from solstitium – sol, which means sun, and stitium, which means “still or stopped”, reports the Almanac.
RISES AND SUNSETS DURING THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
While the solstice marks the day with the most sunlight, it does not mark the date of the earliest sunrise or latest sunset.
In Florida, it is said that this June 21 will have the shortest night (11 hours 22 minutes and 44 seconds) and the longest day (12 hours 37 minutes 16 seconds).
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU EXPECT?
As the summer solstice approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, NASA scientists say a busy period of solar events will begin, with eclipses and a host of other phenomena.
There will be not one, but two solar eclipses in the next 12 months, and both will be at least partially visible from the Midwest.
First will take place on October 14, 2023. While a total eclipse will occur in parts of the southwestern United States, a partial eclipse will also be seen in the Midwest.
The main event from an eclipse perspective will take place on April 8 of next year, with a total solar eclipse visible across a wide swath of the Midwest.
More here.
Finally, NASA says that the sun is reaching the peak of an 11-year solar cycle, which could cause a variety of impacts in the coming months.
Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field changes. These spins can cause dramatic changes in activity on the sun’s surface, with solar flares and coronal mass ejections potentially impacting Earth in a variety of ways.
The Northern Lights can become more pronounced and visible in new places during those times, and radio communications and even power grids can be affected on Earth.
