Today is Summer Solstice 2018. Which is to say, today is the longest day of the year.
Today is Summer Solstice 2018. Which is to say, today is the longest day of the year. If you remember your Class Five Geography lessons, you’d probably know that the longest day of the year is caused when one of earth’s poles inclines the most towards the sun resulting in the planet receiving maximum sunlight on the day. During the summer solstice, it is the northern half of the planet that tilts towards the sun.
Why is Summer Solstice the longest day of the year?
Also known as midsummer, the summer solstice is an annual event that occurs when a planet (in this case, the Earth) reaches a maximum tilt on its axis towards the star it orbits (the Sun).
The word ‘solstice’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Solstitium’, which translates to ‘sun standing still’. There are two solstices in the year. While Summer Solstice occurs when the sun reaches the highest position in the sky, Winter Solstice takes place when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, marking the shortest day.
But while June 21 may seem like an unending day, the occurrence of the summer solstice also means that from today onwards, the days will start getting shorter. This will continue until December 21, which is when the winter solstice will take place.
Why does a solstice occur?
The Earth orbits around the sun on a tilted axis. Due to this, the Northern Hemisphere gets more exposure to the sun between March and September, which is why we have the summer during this period in India. For the rest of the year, the Southern Hemisphere gets more exposure to the sun. This is the reason why we have different seasons, during different times across the world. So today, the tilt of the Earth’s axil reaches the maximum, i.e. 23.5 degrees north latitude, and the sun is shining directly over the Tropic of Cancer. What this means is that today the sun will take the longest to travel across the sky on the June solstice than on any other day of the year
When will the Summer solstice occur in India?
In India, the Sun reached its highest point in the sky at 3.37 pm. It is also interesting to note that India will receive the sunlight for a total of 13 hours 16 minutes and 52 seconds today. Yesterday we received sunlight for 13 hours 16 mins 51 seconds. Tomorrow we will have the daylight for 13 hours 16 minutes 51 seconds, and from then onwards the days will start getting shorter and the nights longer.
Why is Summer Solstice the longest day of the year?
Also known as midsummer, the summer solstice is an annual event that occurs when a planet (in this case, the Earth) reaches a maximum tilt on its axis towards the star it orbits (the Sun).
The word ‘solstice’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Solstitium’, which translates to ‘sun standing still’. There are two solstices in the year. While Summer Solstice occurs when the sun reaches the highest position in the sky, Winter Solstice takes place when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, marking the shortest day.
But while June 21 may seem like an unending day, the occurrence of the summer solstice also means that from today onwards, the days will start getting shorter. This will continue until December 21, which is when the winter solstice will take place.
Why does a solstice occur?
The Earth orbits around the sun on a tilted axis. Due to this, the Northern Hemisphere gets more exposure to the sun between March and September, which is why we have the summer during this period in India. For the rest of the year, the Southern Hemisphere gets more exposure to the sun. This is the reason why we have different seasons, during different times across the world. So today, the tilt of the Earth’s axil reaches the maximum, i.e. 23.5 degrees north latitude, and the sun is shining directly over the Tropic of Cancer. What this means is that today the sun will take the longest to travel across the sky on the June solstice than on any other day of the year
When will the Summer solstice occur in India?
In India, the Sun reached its highest point in the sky at 3.37 pm. It is also interesting to note that India will receive the sunlight for a total of 13 hours 16 minutes and 52 seconds today. Yesterday we received sunlight for 13 hours 16 mins 51 seconds. Tomorrow we will have the daylight for 13 hours 16 minutes 51 seconds, and from then onwards the days will start getting shorter and the nights longer.