Time Of Summer Solstice 2023 – Once a year, an astronomical alignment triggers this seasonal change. The holiday is celebrated around the world — and shrouded in myth.
This year, the winter solstice falls on December 21 at 4:48 p.m. EST (Dec. 21 at 9:48 p.m.). South of the equator, the same moment marks the unofficial start of summer. Occurs around the world at the same time, but their local time varies by time zone.
Time Of Summer Solstice 2023
Traditionally, the summer and winter solstice helped mark the changing of the seasons—along with their counterparts, spring and fall. Today’s meteorologists formally use temperature records to draw boundaries between seasons. What exactly are the holidays – how have they been celebrated historically? Here’s everything you need to know.
Winter Solstice 2022: When Is The First Day Of Winter? What Is The Winter Solstice?
The Earth’s axis of rotation is resolved because it is tilted by about 23.4 degrees relative to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This tilt determines the Earth’s seasons because the northern and southern hemispheres receive unequal amounts of sunlight throughout the year. From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere leans more towards the sun, bringing spring and summer. From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere tilts and feels like fall and winter. The seasons in the Southern Hemisphere have turned.
Twice a year – the so-called ecliptic – when the Earth’s axis is most inclined to the Sun. The hemisphere farthest from our star has the longest day, and the hemisphere farthest from the Sun has the longest night. The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which always falls around June 21, is the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. Similarly, it occurs during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, around December 22, and the Southern Hemisphere’s summer solstice.
One can also think of a solar flare where the sun appears on Earth. During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun appears directly above the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees latitude. (This means you can go north and see the Sun directly overhead.) During the Northern Hemisphere winter, the Sun’s mirror image south of the Tropic of Cancer appears above the Tropic of Capricorn.
How Much Daylight Will You Receive On The Summer Solstice?
Earth is not the only planet in the sun and equinox. Any planet with an inclined spin axis would see them too. In fact, planetary scientists use ecliptic and equinox to define the “seasons” of other planets in the solar system.
However, it is worth noting that seasons on other planets are not equivalent to Earth’s climate for several reasons. First, the planets’ axes are different: Venus’ axis of rotation is tilted by only three degrees, so the seasonal variation between summer and winter days on Venus is much smaller than on Earth. Also, planets like Mars have smaller orbits than Earth, meaning their distance from the Sun varies greatly from ours, with correspondingly greater effects on seasonal temperatures.
The tilt of the Earth’s axis plays a greater role in setting the seasons than does its orbit. The Earth is closest to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere winter two weeks after the December solstice. Earth is furthest from the Sun about two weeks after the June solstice during the northern hemisphere summer.
What Is The Summer Solstice? 4 Facts You Should Know
People see a watermelon as they climb over Stonehenge, a megalithic monument on June 21, 2005 in Salisbury Plain, England. Crowds gathered at the ancient stone circle to celebrate the summer holiday, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Over the millennia, cultures around the world have found ways to celebrate and honor these celestial events.
Although the purpose of Stonehenge’s English structure is unknown, the 5,000-year-old monument may have a special connection to the meadow. During the summer, the complex, which sits just outside Stonehenge’s main circle, faces the rising sun.
Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice Announces 2022 Theme
In Egypt, the Great Pyramids of Giza also seem to align with the sun. From the Sphinx, the sun sets between the pyramids of Khufu and Chephren during the summer – although it is not clear how the ancient Egyptians aligned them.
Many cultures have found unique ways to celebrate the summer holiday. The traditional Scandinavian celebration of the New Year heralds it with maypole dancing, drinking and romance. On the Slavic holiday of Ivan Kupala, people wear wreaths, dance around bonfires, and some brave spirits jump over the flames to ensure good luck and health. In a more modern tradition, the people of Fairbanks, Alaska celebrate the fact that they get 22.5 hours of daylight during the summer by ringing in an evening baseball game on their summer vacation. The Midnight Sun game has been played since 1906.
Winter holidays were also celebrated. On June 24, as the Southern Hemisphere winter approaches, the Inca Empire celebrates Inca, a festival that honors the powerful Inca sun god and celebrates the Inca New Year. The festival is still celebrated in the Andes, and since 1944 work has been underway to recreate the Inti Raya in Cusco, Peru, two miles from the birthplace of the Inca Empire. The ancient Romans celebrated the winter solstice with Saturnalia, a seven-day festival of gift-giving, decorating homes with plants, and candle-lighting. And Iranians celebrate Yalda in December. The festival is a mainstay of Zoroastrianism as the main religion in Iran and honors the birth of Mithras, the traditional Persian god of light.
First Day Of Summer 2022: When And What Is The Summer Solstice?
In short, because the surface and water take time to warm and cool. In the United States, the coldest temperatures of the year come after mid-January, a month after the Northern Hemisphere winter. Similarly, American thermometers peak in July and August, weeks after summer arrives.
Some also believe that as Earth’s rotation slows, each new star sets a new record for daylight. But it’s not.
It is true that the Earth’s rotation has slowed down over billions of years. The growth curve of the fossil coral display days on Earth is less than 22 hours for more than 400 million years.
What Time Is Summer Solstice And When Is The Longest Day Of 2022?
But global slowdown isn’t the only factor. Imagine a figure skater spinning on a skateboard. Similarly, changes in the distribution of Earth’s mass—from El Niño winds to the melting of the Greenland ice sheet—subtly affect the Earth’s circulation.
With this in mind, the longest day since 1830 is believed to have occurred sometime in 1912. It is less than four millimeters below the recent average.
BBC Religions – Winter Holidays CNN – Summer Traditions Around the World Raimi Irani Review – Summer Celebration Alaska Stadium Famous NASA Global Climate Change – Melting Ice and Earth’s Rotation NASA Goddard – El Niño and Earth’s Rotation NASA Science – Earth NASA Science – Interplanetary Earth Physics and Planetary Interiors – Day Length Data Scientific American – Coral Paleontological Clock Smithsonian Journal – Great Pyramid and Summer Solstice Atlantic – Ivan Kupala timeanddate.com – December Solstice
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Artist Jeff de Boer has been designing and creating small, museum-quality armor for decades. How did he find his calling? “It all started with mice,” he said.
Steel structures and swing bridges built over the rainforest offer visitors a fascinating way to spot the country’s buffalo, tigers and famously elusive wildlife.
Cold air floating over the North Pole can sometimes cause extreme cold in North America.
Sunrise Time, Sunset Time, And Hours Of Daylight On The Summer Solstice
Famous US laws ban petting, tiger selfies and keeping big cats as pets. What does this mean for the thousands of trapped cats? There are two holidays each year: one in June and one in December. The June solstice marks the longest day north of the equator and the shortest south.
The June solstice is when the Sun is above the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the northernmost latitude it reaches in a year. After a rest he begins to march south again.
In June, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and receives more sunlight during the day. The North Pole’s inclination to the sun is greatest at sunset, so this event marks the longest day of the year north of the equator.
December Solstice: All You Need To Know
This effect is best in places away from the equator. In tropical regions, the longest day lasts more than 12 hours. It is significantly longer in temperate zones. And places in the Arctic Circle experience the midnight sun or polar day.
Instead, the June holiday is the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. Here too, the more distant the place, the greater the effect