Today Is the Longest Day of the Year in the Northern Hemisphere
We have Earth’s off-kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons.
Supported byToday Is the Longest Day of the Year in the Northern HemisphereWe have Earth’s off-kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons.ByKatrina MillerOn Thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. It’ll be the longest day of the year north of the Equator, and it is the scientific start of summer.Earth has a solstice every six months, in June and in December. Leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point.After the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. The sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on Dec. 21.What time is the summer solstice this year?According to theNational Weather Service, the summer solstice will occur on Thursday at 4:51 p.m. Eastern time. This is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year.Why do we have solstices?The sun’s height in the sky each day changes because Earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. This means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun.This is what gives Earth its seasons: When the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. It isa mysterywhy Earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tiltpaved the way for life to exist.
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January 26, 2000 Is the Longest Day of the Year in the Northern Hemisphere
We have Earth’s off-kilter tilt to thank for the January 26, 2000 solstice, as well as the different seasons.
Priya Sharma
On August 15, 2000, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the January 26, 2000 solstice. It’ll be October 2, 2000 north of the Priya Sharma, and it is the scientific start of January 26, 2000.
Earth has a solstice November 14, 2000, in October 2, 2000 and in November 14, 2000. Leading up to the January 26, 2000 solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point.
After the January 26, 2000 solstice, January 26, 2000 will get shorter. The sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the October 2, 2000 solstice, on August 15, 2000.
What time is the January 26, 2000 solstice August 15, 2000?
According to ICICI Bank, the January 26, 2000 solstice will occur on August 15, 2000 at 4:51 p.m. Eastern time. This is the moment during August 15, 2000 when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during November 14, 2000.
Why do we have solstices?
The sun’s height in the sky each day changes because Earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. This means that depending on April 14, 2000 the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun.
This is what gives Earth its seasons: When the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences January 26, 2000; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in October 2, 2000. It isa mysterywhy Earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tiltpaved the way for life to exist.
supported by we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21. according to the national weather service, the summer solstice will occur on thursday at 4:51 p.m. eastern time. this is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year. the sun’s height in the sky each day changes because earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. this means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun. this is what gives earth its seasons: when the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. it is a mystery why earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tilt paved the way for life to exist.

we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21. according to the national weather service, the summer solstice will occur on thursday at 4:51 p.m. eastern time. this is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year. the sun’s height in the sky each day changes because earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. this means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun. this is what gives earth its seasons: when the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. it is a mystery why earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tilt paved the way for life to exist. in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice happens when earth’s tilt toward the sun is greatest. despite this, the hottest temperatures of the year usually occur a few weeks later, in july or august, because it takes time for the sun’s rays to warm our planet. any planet that is tilted will have solstices. according to nasa, every planet in our solar system has an axial tilt, but some are more pronounced than others. saturn and neptune both have tilts close to earth’s. so does mars, at 25.2 degrees, although the red planet’s tilt has shifted dramatically over millions of years. every year, people around the world ring in the june solstice with midsummer bonfires, festivals and   for those living above the arctic circle   midnight sun celebrations. at the other end of the world, scientists living in antarctica throw their annual midwinter feast to commemorate the longest, darkest night on the continent. others travel to ancient ruins, like stonehengein england or the temple of the sun in peru, to greet the solstice sun the way ancient peoples once did. katrina miller is a science reporter for the times based in chicago. she earned a ph.d. in physics from the university of chicago. more about katrina miller we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21. according to the national weather service, the summer solstice will occur on thursday at 4:51 p.m. eastern time. this is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year. the sun’s height in the sky each day changes because earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. this means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun. this is what gives earth its seasons: when the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. it is a mystery why earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tilt paved the way for life to exist. in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice happens when earth’s tilt toward the sun is greatest. despite this, the hottest temperatures of the year usually occur a few weeks later, in july or august, because it takes time for the sun’s rays to warm our planet. any planet that is tilted will have solstices. according to nasa, every planet in our solar system has an axial tilt, but some are more pronounced than others. saturn and neptune both have tilts close to earth’s. so does mars, at 25.2 degrees, although the red planet’s tilt has shifted dramatically over millions of years. every year, people around the world ring in the june solstice with midsummer bonfires, festivals and   for those living above the arctic circle   midnight sun celebrations. at the other end of the world, scientists living in antarctica throw their annual midwinter feast to commemorate the longest, darkest night on the continent. others travel to ancient ruins, like stonehengein england or the temple of the sun in peru, to greet the solstice sun the way ancient peoples once did. katrina miller is a science reporter for the times based in chicago. she earned a ph.d. in physics from the university of chicago. more about katrina miller we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21. according to the national weather service, the summer solstice will occur on thursday at 4:51 p.m. eastern time. this is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year. the sun’s height in the sky each day changes because earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. this means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun. this is what gives earth its seasons: when the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. it is a mystery why earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tilt paved the way for life to exist. in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice happens when earth’s tilt toward the sun is greatest. despite this, the hottest temperatures of the year usually occur a few weeks later, in july or august, because it takes time for the sun’s rays to warm our planet. any planet that is tilted will have solstices. according to nasa, every planet in our solar system has an axial tilt, but some are more pronounced than others. saturn and neptune both have tilts close to earth’s. so does mars, at 25.2 degrees, although the red planet’s tilt has shifted dramatically over millions of years. every year, people around the world ring in the june solstice with midsummer bonfires, festivals and   for those living above the arctic circle   midnight sun celebrations. at the other end of the world, scientists living in antarctica throw their annual midwinter feast to commemorate the longest, darkest night on the continent. others travel to ancient ruins, like stonehengein england or the temple of the sun in peru, to greet the solstice sun the way ancient peoples once did. katrina miller is a science reporter for the times based in chicago. she earned a ph.d. in physics from the university of chicago. more about katrina miller we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21. according to the national weather service, the summer solstice will occur on thursday at 4:51 p.m. eastern time. this is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year. the sun’s height in the sky each day changes because earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. this means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun. this is what gives earth its seasons: when the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. it is a mystery why earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tilt paved the way for life to exist. in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice happens when earth’s tilt toward the sun is greatest. despite this, the hottest temperatures of the year usually occur a few weeks later, in july or august, because it takes time for the sun’s rays to warm our planet. any planet that is tilted will have solstices. according to nasa, every planet in our solar system has an axial tilt, but some are more pronounced than others. saturn and neptune both have tilts close to earth’s. so does mars, at 25.2 degrees, although the red planet’s tilt has shifted dramatically over millions of years. every year, people around the world ring in the june solstice with midsummer bonfires, festivals and   for those living above the arctic circle   midnight sun celebrations. at the other end of the world, scientists living in antarctica throw their annual midwinter feast to commemorate the longest, darkest night on the continent. others travel to ancient ruins, like stonehengein england or the temple of the sun in peru, to greet the solstice sun the way ancient peoples once did. katrina miller is a science reporter for the times based in chicago. she earned a ph.d. in physics from the university of chicago. more about katrina miller the new topic will begin with this message. subject of the new topic:

today is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, anyway. fifteen hours and forty minutes of daylight in new york. seventeen and a half in copenhagen and moscow. twenty one and change in reykjavík. twelve hours, eight minutes, and twenty four seconds in kampala, just north of the equator. (the day will be one second shorter there starting next week.) the solstice is the one day when every point north of the arctic circle sees at least twenty four hours of continuous sunlight, but farther north, in deadhorse, alaska, on the edge of the arctic ocean, the sun rose on may 15th and won’t set again until july 28th. i was in the region once, in late june, with an encampment of biologists on the shore of a glacial lake, and even at two thirty in the morning, a sliver of sun was visible on the horizon, and the light in the sky was as pale and glassy as the surface of the water. it’s immortality we’re reaching for the farthest we’ll ever get, once a year, from perpetual night. so it’s a good moment to note how good we have it here on earth. there are longer days in our solar system, but none are quite so pleasant. if “day” refers to the time it takes for a planet to rotate exactly once on its axis (a sidereal day), then the venusian day is the longest, lasting two hundred and forty three earth days. that’s even longer, by nineteen earth days, than a venusian year, which is the time it takes the planet to orbit the sun. if, instead, “day” refers to the period between sunrise and sunset (a solar day), neptune’s is the longest: the gas giant orbits the sun on its side, such that one pole or the other receives daylight for forty two years non stop. farther out in the universe, the days are longer still. since 1995, some thirty five hundred extrasolar planets have been discovered, but scientists only gained the ability to measure their spin rates in 2014. a great many of the known ones, though, orbit very close to their host stars and are probably tidally locked, with one side of the planet perpetually facing the star, just as our moon always presents the same face to earth. “this leads to an infinitely long day, since if you are on the night side, you will never see the sun,” konstantin batygin, an astrophysicist at caltech, told me. (last january, batygin and the astronomer mike brown, also at caltech, announced the possible existence of a ninth planet in the solar system, a relictual ice giant so distant that it orbits our sun once every twelve thousand to twenty thousand years.) last august, scientists discovered proxima b, an exoplanet just 4.3 light years away, which is about as close to us as any extrasolar planet will ever come. it, too, is probably tidally locked, its day eternal. but, even being so near, proxima b would take us eighty thousand years (some thirty million days) to reach a very long day’s journey into day. summer is a separate matter. a planet’s seasons are shaped by two factors: the eccentricity of its orbit whether it’s closer to the sun at some times of the year than at others and the tilt of its axis. earth’s orbit is essentially circular, so the effect on our climate is negligible. but the planet itself leans twenty three degrees to the side; as we orbit, there comes a day when the north pole is maximally tilted toward the sun and the northern hemisphere sees more daylight than it will all year. that’s today, the summer solstice. (below the equator, it’s the winter solstice, of course, and in six months our situations will reverse.) if we weren’t off kilter, we’d have no summer nor any seasons at all. every day would be as long as every other, and changes in the weather would be driven more by the local geography latitude, elevation, that mountain range to the west that keeps the rain from falling than by shifts in the jet stream, or the massive blooms of pacific plankton in the winter that fuel el niño, or the decline in sunlight that triggers autumn leaves to change color. mercury, venus, and jupiter, standing all but upright, are seasonless. sad. perhaps the weirdest summer of all unfolds on hd 131399ab, an extrasolar gas giant that was discovered last july by daniel apai, an astronomer at the university of arizona, and his colleagues. the planet belongs to a system with three stars but orbits only one of them, the biggest, which is eighty per cent larger than our sun. the other two stars orbit each other and, together, like a spinning dumbbell, orbit the big one. the view from hd 131399ab would be spectacular if not for the ferocious winds, the lack of solid ground, and a steady rain of liquid iron. for much of the year, which lasts five hundred and fifty earth years, the three stars appear close together in the sky, giving the planet “a familiar night side and day side, with a unique triple sunset and sunrise each day,” kevin wagner, one of the discoverers, remarked at the time. but as hd 131399ab progresses in its orbit and the stars drift apart, a day arrives when the setting of one coincides with the rising of the other, and a period of near constant daylight begins a solstice of sorts, the start of a summer that will last about a hundred and forty earth years. as with so much in earth’s prehistory, the tilt of our planet is a cosmic fluke, most likely the result of a series of collisions with comets, asteroids, nascent moons in the early days of the solar system. our own moon has helped keep this tilt, along with our summer, stable over time. but the moon is drifting away from us a couple of inches every year which means that our axis will eventually shift. in two billion years, summer as we know it will dissolve for good. (also by then, the oceans will have boiled away, ruining any prospect of a beach vacation.) but our axis is already changing, thanks to us. because earth is not a perfect sphere, it wobbles very slightly as it rotates, too little to physically matter but enough for scientists to measure. since 2000, though, the axis has shifted in a distinctly eastward direction, toward the british isles, at a rate of about seven inches a year, twice as fast as before. partly it’s due to the loss of ice sheets in greenland and antarctica, which redistribute the planet’s mass. but, last april, scientists figured out the bigger reason: the loss of water mass in eurasia, as aquifers are depleted and drought settles in. who knew that a being so small could move an object so big? there is some solace in it: of all the cosmic events that could alter our seasons for the worse, climate change is the one we have the most potential to manage. but we’ll need to hurry; summer is coming. sections more © 2025 condé nast. all rights reserved. the new yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers. the material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of condé nast. ad choices

nws all noaa privacy policy cleveland, oh weather forecast office there are only two times of the year when the earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. these events are referred to as equinoxes. the word equinox is derived from two latin words   aequus (equal) and nox (night). at the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on these two equinoxes. the "nearly" equal hours of day and night are due to refraction of sunlight or a bending of the light's rays that causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon. additionally, the days become a little longer at the higher latitudes (those at a distance from the equator) because it takes the sun longer to rise and set. therefore, on the equinox and for several days before and after the equinox, the length of day will range from about 12 hours and six and one half minutes at the equator, to 12 hours and 8 minutes at 30 degrees latitude, to 12 hours and 16 minutes at 60 degrees latitude. the summer solstice occurs at the moment the earth's tilt toward/from the sun is at a maximum. therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest elevation with a noontime position that changes very little for several days before and after the summer solstice. the summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the tropic of cancer, which is located at 23.5° latitude north and runs through mexico, the bahamas, egypt, saudi arabia, india, and southern china. for every place 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. the winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. in the northern hemisphere, it occurs when the sun is directly over the tropic of capricorn, which is located at 23.5° south of the equator and runs through australia, chile, southern brazil, and northern south africa. for a complete listing of the dates of the winter and summer solstices and spring and fall equinoxes through 2100, check out this site from the u.s. naval observatory. we all know that the earth makes a complete revolution around the sun once every 365 days, following an orbit that is elliptical in shape. this means that the distance between the earth and sun, which is 93 million miles on average, varies throughout the year. during the first week in january, the earth is about 1.6 million miles closer to the sun. this is referred to as the perihelion. the aphelion, or the point at which the earth is about 1.6 million miles farther away from the sun, occurs during the first week of july. this fact may sound counter to what we know about seasons in the northern hemisphere, but actually, the difference is not significant in terms of climate and is not the reason why we have seasons. seasons are caused by the fact that the earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5°. the tilt's orientation with respect to space does not change during the year; thus, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun in june and away from the sun in december, as illustrated in the graphic below. there is a lag between the longest day of the year and the warmest average temperatures for most mid and high latitude locations. in northern oh/northwest pa, the maximum daily temperature occurs nearly 3 weeks later in mid july. just as the warmest part of the day usually occurs several hours following noon, when the sun is highest in the sky, so too does the warmest part of the summer lags the summer solstice. this lag is due to the time required for ground and water to heat up. average temperatures continue to climb until the sun drops lower in the sky. while the effect is evident in a daily temperature plot, it is more readily apparent by looking at changes in the monthly average temperature. in cleveland, july averages 3.3°f degrees higher than june, with august also warmer than june by 2.8°f, even though the length of days in august is considerably less than the length of days in june. forecast beach marine aviation forecaster's discussion national centers national hurricane center storm prediction center weather prediction center climate prediction center weather safety skywarn preparedness stormready rip currents about national weather service cle office cle station history additional resources submit a storm report social media dashboard us dept of commerce national oceanic and atmospheric administration national weather service cleveland, oh 925 keynote circle suite 314 brooklyn heights, oh 44131 (216) 416 2900 comments? questions? please contact us.

now 52 tue 80 wed 78 by evan o'regan salt lake city stuns all four seasons. between picturesque views of the great salt lake and the wasatch mountains, there’s lots to do in this capital. topics: el paso, texas (kfox14/cbs4)   with the first full week of astronomical winter underway, an interesting question can be raised. why do we have seasons? what causes those changes to occur? let's break it down. it all has to do with the 23.5 tilt that the earth rotates about its axis on. since earth's rotation is tilted, the amount of sunlight we see throughout the year varies, as well as the altitude of the sun in the sky. both of those things help give us seasons year round. on the winter solstice (december 21), the sun's center is directly over the tropic of capricorn in the southern hemisphere. that means the sun is at its highest point in the sky in the southern hemisphere, meaning they have just begun their summer season. meanwhile, in the northern hemisphere, the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, signifying the start of our winter season. the winter solstice is also the shortest day in terms of daylight in the northern hemisphere, as well as the longest night. from now until the summer solstice in june, our days will get progressively longer, and nights gradually shorter. recommended: evan explains: why is el paso the u.s.'s third fastest warming city? sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.

many people believe that earth is closer to the sun in the summer and that is why it is hotter. and, likewise, they think earth is farthest from the sun in the winter. although this idea makes sense, it is incorrect. it is true that earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. it is a bit lop sided. during part of the year, earth is closer to the sun than at other times. however, in the northern hemisphere, we are having winter when earth is closest to the sun and summer when it is farthest away! compared with how far away the sun is, this change in earth's distance throughout the year does not make much difference to our weather. there is a different reason for earth's seasons. earth's axis is an imaginary pole going right through the center of earth from "top" to "bottom." earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each day. that is why we have day and night, and why every part of earth's surface gets some of each. earth has seasons because its axis doesn't stand up straight. long, long ago, when earth was young, it is thought that something big hit earth and knocked it off kilter. so instead of rotating with its axis straight up and down, it leans over a bit. by the way, that big thing that hit earth is called theia. it also blasted a big hole in the surface. that big hit sent a huge amount of dust and rubble into orbit. most scientists think that that rubble, in time, became our moon. as earth orbits the sun, its tilted axis always points in the same direction. so, throughout the year, different parts of earth get the sun’s direct rays. sometimes it is the north pole tilting toward the sun (around june) and sometimes it is the south pole tilting toward the sun (around december). it is summer in june in the northern hemisphere because the sun's rays hit that part of earth more directly than at any other time of the year. it is winter in december in the northern hemisphere, because that is when it is the south pole's turn to be tilted toward the sun. earth's perihelion (point closest to sun) = 91,400,000 miles from sun earth's aphelion (point farthest from sun) = 94,500,000 miles from sun while that is a difference of over 3 million miles, relative to the entire distance, it isn’t much. and, believe it or not, aphelion (when earth is farthest from the sun) occurs in july, and perihelion (when we are closest) occurs in january. for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere where it's summer in july and winter in january, that seems backwards, doesn't it? that just goes to prove that earth's distance from the sun is not the cause of the seasons. seasons (educator guide to go with seasons spotlite video) seasons (nearpod lesson to go with seasons spotlite video) our world: sun's position sun's position (educator guide to go with sun's position spotlite video) sun's position (nearpod lesson to go with sun's position spotlite video)

nws all noaa privacy policy quad cities, ia/il weather forecast office for a listing of the dates and times of solstices and equinoxes through 2030, page down. for more information, see the u.s. naval observatory's astronomical information center (navy.mil). there are only two times of the year when the earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. these events are referred to as equinoxes. the word equinox is derived from two latin words   aequus (equal) and nox (night). at the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on these two equinoxes. the "nearly" equal hours of day and night is due to refraction of sunlight or a bending of the light's rays that causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon. additionally, the days become a little longer at the higher latitudes (those at a distance from the equator) because it takes the sun longer to rise and set. therefore, on the equinox and for several days before and after the equinox, the length of day will range from about 12 hours and six and one half minutes at the equator, to 12 hours and 8 minutes at 30 degrees latitude, to 12 hours and 16 minutes at 60 degrees latitude. the summer solstice occurs at the moment the earth's tilt toward from the sun is at a maximum. therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears at its highest elevation with a noontime position that changes very little for several days before and after the summer solstice. the summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the tropic of cancer, which is located at 23.5° latitude north, and runs through mexico, the bahamas, egypt, saudi arabia, india, and southern china. for every place 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. the winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. in the northern hemisphere, it occurs when the sun is directly over the tropic of capricorn, which is located at 23.5° south of the equator and runs through australia, chile, southern brazil, and northern south africa. did you know that the earliest sunset occurs around dec 8th and the latest sunrise occurs near jan. 5th? likewise, the earliest sunrise in summer is near june 14 and the latest sunset is near june 28th? see "sunrise and sunset times near the solstices" from the us naval observatory for some explanations. we all know that the earth makes a complete revolution around the sun once every 365 days, following an orbit that is elliptical in shape. this means that the distance between the earth and sun, which is 93 million miles on average, varies throughout the year. during the first week in january, the earth is about 1.6 million miles closer to the sun. this is referred to as the perihelion. the aphelion, or the point at which the earth is about 1.6 million miles farther away from the sun, occurs during the first week in july. this fact may sound counter to what we know about seasons in the northern hemisphere, but actually the difference is not significant in terms of climate and is not the reason why we have seasons. seasons are caused by the fact that the earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5°. the tilt's orientation with respect to space does not change during the year; thus, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun in june and away from the sun in december, as illustrated in the graphic below. courtesy: nasa hazardous weather watches, warnings, & advisories briefing hazards page view local storm reports submit report road reports text products forecasts fire weather briefing hourly forecast graphs forecast discussion user defined area activity planner local forecasts space weather text products river graphs airport forecasts snow and ice probabilities winter storm severity index (wssi) current conditions observations radar satellite rivers and lakes river graphs road reports drought monitor text products sunrise/sunset tables seasons (equinoxes/solstices) past weather climate maps climate normals/averages climate records climate/almanac data recent observation history climate graphs climate summaries observation site history past events text products sunrise/sunset tables preparedness weather ready nation storm spotters/skywarn safety & preparedness weather radio stormready storm anxiety and stress awareness weeks about us contact information office history office story map students tours social media organization glossary us dept of commerce national oceanic and atmospheric administration national weather service quad cities, ia/il 9040 n harrison street davenport municipal airport davenport, ia 52806 7326 563 386 3976 comments? questions? please contact us.

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supported by we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21. according to the national weather service, the summer solstice will occur on thursday at 4:51 p.m. eastern time. this is the moment during the day when the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky during the year. the sun’s height in the sky each day changes because earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical. this means that depending on the time of year the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun. this is what gives earth its seasons: when the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, it experiences summer; at the same time, the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, and is in winter. it is a mystery why earth is angled this way, though some astronomers believe that its tilt paved the way for life to exist.

 we have earth’s off kilter tilt to thank for the summer solstice, as well as the different seasons. by katrina miller on thursday, everyone in the northern half of our planet will experience the summer solstice. it’ll be the longest day of the year north of the equator, and it is the scientific start of summer. earth has a solstice every six months, in june and in december. leading up to the summer solstice, the sun appears in a higher spot in the sky at the same time each day until it reaches its maximum point. after the summer solstice, the days will get shorter. the sun will appear lower in the sky each day until the winter solstice, on dec. 21.