All About the 2024 Summer Solstice: What Is It and When Will It Occur?

Goodbye dark and Hello Sun!

The summer solstice marks the official start of longer, brighter days as the Northern Hemisphere transitions from a long, cold winter into the long-awaited season of sunshine.

The solstices are one of two astronomical methods used to determine the seasons on Earth, marking the beginning of summer and winter. Its counterpart is the equinoxes, which mark the beginning of spring and autumn.

For the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice begins in mid-June each year. Meteorologists and climatologists, meanwhile, use quarterly groups that are generally based on climate and temperature patterns to track the seasons — with summer, specifically, spanning the months of June, July, and August.

While the summer solstice marks the beginning of the season, it also marks the longest day of the year. This is because the sun’s path in the sky is most northerly in the northern hemisphere.

In contrast, the southern hemisphere enters the winter solstice at this time. Those who live below the equator will experience the exact opposite: the least daylight and the shortest day of the year.

As for the equinoxes, they mark the time when day and night are approximately equal in length and occur annually in March and September. The word equinox comes from the Latin words “aequi” (meaning equal) and “nox” (meaning night).

Read on for what you need to know about the 2024 summer solstice, including when it is this year and how to celebrate the astronomical event.

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When is the summer solstice in 2024?

A colorful field of flowers in the countryside.

Photo by Nick Brundle/Getty

The day of the summer solstice depends on the geographical location. For the Northern Hemisphere, the peak is June 20 at 4:51 PM EDT. For the Southern Hemisphere this happens on December 21st.

How many hours of daylight does the summer solstice have?

The amount of daylight during the summer solstice depends on latitude in the northern hemisphere.

North of the Arctic Circle there are 24 hours of daylight because the sun stays completely above the horizon. Locations located in temperate or mid-northern latitudes have approximately 15 hours of daylight, while those on the equator have about 12 hours of daylight from sunrise to sunset.

The summer solstice occurs every two years due to the position of the Sun in relation to the Earth. In the northern hemisphere it falls in June. In the southern hemisphere it is held in December.

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Why does the summer solstice happen?

Crowds celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge, England in June 2018.

Paul Mansfield Photo/Getty

The summer solstice is a biennial event that occurs in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, but at different times due to the position of the Sun relative to the Earth.

Scientifically, the solstices occur when the Earth reaches the point in its orbit when the North Pole is at its maximum inclination of 23.5 degrees to the Sun, per Peasant Almanac. For the Northern Hemisphere it is in June. For the southern hemisphere it is in December.

For us humans on Earth, this means that those living north of the equator will experience the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year because the northern hemisphere will receive the most direct sunlight.

The term “longest day” has nothing to do with hours, however, it simply equates to the amount of sunlight. The summer solstice is significant because the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky, at which point the sun’s path does not change for a short period of time. Fun fact: The word “solstice” comes from the Latin word “solstitium”. This is divided into “sol” (sun) and “stitium” (still or stopped).

Is the summer solstice the first day of summer?

While many in the United States consider Memorial Day the unofficial-official start of summer, the summer solstice astronomically marks the first day of the season in the Northern Hemisphere. It lasts from June 20 to September 22, also known as the autumnal equinox.

How to celebrate the summer solstice?

Illustration of people gathering in front of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK at sunset.

MARK GARLICK/SCIENTIFIC PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty

The summer solstice is celebrated differently around the world through numerous festivities and traditions. Feasts, bonfires, picnics and traditional songs are just some of the ways to observe the change of season.

Paying homage dates back to ancient times, when some of our earliest ancestors built monuments to commemorate the sun and welcome the arrival of summer. Stonehenge in England, for example, is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments. Its entrance faces the rising sun on the day of the summer solstice, leading 18th-century scholars to conclude that ancient astronomers may have used it as a kind of solar calendar to track the movements of the sun and moon, along with the changing seasons.

Thousands of people gather every year to watch the beautiful sight at sunrise and sunset, which this year will be celebrated on the night of June 20 to the morning of June 21. The official English Heritage YouTube channel will be hosting a live stream if you can’t make it to Wiltshire in person.

Crowds gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice for the first time since the pandemic began

Those in the Nordic countries, such as Sweden, celebrate the longest day of the year with a joyous holiday called “Midsommar”. Traditional celebrations include the Sma Grodorn dance (“Frogs”) dance around a maypole decorated with flowers and leaves, wearing flower garlands.

Barcelona celebrates the solstice with fire and the carrying of the Canigo flame. Norway also celebrates with fire — in fact, it’s the largest bonfire in the world called Slinningsbålet.

Parts of the United States, such as Alaska, have special traditions in honor of the summer solstice. Nome residents, for example, dive into the Bering Sea to “swim with the polar bears” during Nome’s multi-day Midnight Sun Festival.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education