The summer solstice, which falls on June 21 this year, marks the beginning of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs when the Earth’s upper half is tilted most extremely towards the sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the year.
Understanding the Earth’s Orbit
As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle, causing the sun’s warmth and light to fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet for most of the year. The solstices mark the times when the Earth is tipped most extremely either towards or away from the sun, leading to the most unequal distribution of sunlight and day lengths.
The summer solstice is not only significant in terms of astronomy but also has cultural and historical importance. Many ancient cultures, such as the ones that built Stonehenge, have celebrated the solstices with festivals and rituals.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
