summer solstice

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n.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice that occurs on or about June 21.



June 21-22 (Northern Hemisphere); December 21-22 (Southern Hemisphere)

There are times during the year, respectively in each hemisphere, when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator. It reaches its northernmost point around June 21, which is the longest day of the year for those living north of the equator, and its southernmost point around December 22, which is the longest day for those living in the Southern Hemisphere. The summer solstice marks the first day of the summer season—the word solstice is from the Latin word, solstitium, meaning "sun-stopping," since the point at which the sun appears to rise and set stops and reverses direction after this day.

Although it was very common to celebrate the summer solstice in ancient times, modern American observations are comparatively rare. But there are a number of solstice observances held by New Age and Neopagan groups throughout the United States.


See also Capac Raymi, Doan Ngu, Druids' Summer Solstice Ceremony, Midnight Sun Festival, Midsummer Day, Ysyakh

A solstice that occurs on June 21, give or take a day or two, when the sun is vertically overhead the 231/2° north parallel.

Picture 1 of summer solstice



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categories related to 'summer solstice'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to summer solstice, see:

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UT date and time of
equinoxes and solstices on the earth [1]
event Northward
equinox
Northern
solstice
Southward
equinox
Southern
solstice
month March June September December
year
day time day time day time day time
2010 20 17:32 21 11:28 23 03:09 21 23:38
2011 20 23:21 21 17:16 23 09:04 22 05:30
2012 20 05:14 20 23:09 22 14:49 21 11:12
2013 20 11:02 21 05:04 22 20:44 21 17:11
2014 20 16:57 21 10:51 23 02:29 21 23:03
2015 20 22:45 21 16:38 23 08:20 22 04:48
2016 20 04:30 20 22:34 22 14:21 21 10:44
2017 20 10:28 21 04:24 22 20:02 21 16:28
2018 20 16:15 21 10:07 23 01:54 21 22:23
2019 20 21:58 21 15:54 23 07:50 22 04:19
2020 20 03:50 20 21:44 22 13:31 21 10:02
Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from the north. Far left: summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere. Front right: summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere.

The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. This happens twice each year, at which times the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole respectively.

The summer solstice is the solstice that occurs in a hemisphere's summer. In the Northern Hemisphere this is the Northern solstice, in the Southern Hemisphere this is the Southern solstice. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs some time between December 20 and December 23 each year in the Southern Hemisphere[2] , and between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere[3] in reference to UTC.[4]

Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like Midsummer to refer to the day on which it occurs. Except in the polar regions (where daylight is continuous for many months), the day on which the summer solstice occurs is the day of the year with the longest period of daylight.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied among cultures, but most have held a recognition of sign of the fertility, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.[5]

The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

Celebrations

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References


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