Summer Solstice 2024 – First Day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere

June Solstice marks the arrival of the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere. That’s why in the earth’s northern areas, let’s say for European people, the June solstice is known as the summer solstice or Estival Solstice.

In 2024, the June solstice in the northern hemisphere will occur on Thursday, June 20 at 08:51 PM Universal Coordinated Time (UTC). Not to mention, this astronomical event will also be the brightest as well as the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

On the other hand, for the people living in the southern hemisphere, this solstice marks the arrival of the first day of winter. That’s why in the earth’s southern areas, the June solstice is known as the winter solstice or hibernal solstice.

Again, for the people living in the southern half of the earth, this astronomical event will also be the darkest as well as the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. In other words, the meaning of solstice changes depending on the fact that at which side of the hemisphere you live upon.

Moving ahead, in this exclusive article, we will talk about the fact why the June solstice i.e. summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere.

Or, the questions like that June solstice i.e. the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere is actually the official first day of summer or mid-summer? Therefore, in order to get the answer to questions like these, I would suggest you stick with me till the end. Let’s dive right in!!!

 

What is Solstice?

There are two ways to define the meaning of solstice. These are meteorological and astronomical definitions of Solstice. Right now, I am going to explain it on the basis of astronomy. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be explaining the meteorological definition of solstices. We will talk about it in a later section.

So, moving ahead, according to the astronomical definition of solstices, this is a natural event during which one of the hemispheres is at the maximum tilt away from or towards the sun. And, when this happens, the sun appears to stand still and reverses its direction. In layman, Solstice is a day that occurs due to the sun’s changing path.

Four Seasons

In general, four seasons occur on earth. These are summer, winter, autumn, and spring. Just like the summer and winter solstice is responsible for the arrival of summer and winter seasons on earth. Similarly, the spring & fall equinox is responsible for the arrival of spring and autumn seasons on Earth.

To summarise, each year earth experiences 2 solstices (summer and winter) and 2 equinoxes (spring and fall) that help us to understand the patterns related to the changing seasons.

Now, the question arises as to why there is a mismatch between the north and south. To put it differently, why when there is the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere? At the same time, there is the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. Let’s Find out!!!

 

Thanks to Earth’s Tilt, We See Solstices

Well, there is a small correction here. Not only do we see solstices because of the earth’s tilt. We see equinoxes too. Moving ahead, just because the earth has an axial tilt of 23.4 degrees, there is a mismatch between the northern and southern hemispheres.

In fact, Kepler’s law also contributes to the formation of the different seasons across the globe. YES, YES, the same Kepler’s law that states that all the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun in an elliptical orbit.

However, Kepler’s law contribution can’t be compared to the role played by the earth’s tilt. I mean, if I say in terms of approximated ratios. Then it will be like 90:10.

 

June Solstice – First Day of Summer in Northern Hemisphere

As you already know a solstice is a natural event during which one of the hemispheres is at the maximum tilt away from or towards the sun. Moreover, you also know that there are two types of Solstices.

These are June Solstice and December Solstice. So, how to define June Solstice or December Solstice? OKAY, let me rephrase my question for you!!! What’s the difference between June and December solstice? ANY GUESS?

See, the only difference between them is that during the June solstice, the north pole of the earth is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. That’s why the June solstice is also known as the Northern Solstice.

On the other hand, during the December solstice, the south pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun. That’s why the December solstice is also known as the Southern Solstice.

June Solstice – Northern Solstice

Moving ahead, during the June solstice, the north pole of the earth is at its maximum tilt towards the sun, therefore, half of the earth’s surface (northern hemisphere) receives maximum sunlight. Refer to the image given below for proper understanding.

Hence, marking the brightest as well as the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. That’s why the June solstice aka northern solstice is officially known as the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Additionally, during the official first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, not only the sun’s orbital path across the sky is as high as it can be. The sun will also enter the tropic of cancer on the eve of the June solstice.

And with that, days get shorter and shorter after the summer solstice. That’s why the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is also known as the mid-summer.

 

Summer Solstice – First Day of Summer or Midsummer?

Now is the time that we should talk about the meteorological definition of the summer solstice. Well, technically speaking, if we go by the meteorological definition of the summer solstice, it marks the end of half of the summer or summer season i.e. mid-summer.

However, on the other hand, if we go by the astronomical definition of the summer solstice, it marks the arrival of the first day of summer. Therefore, the question arises as to why we have two different definitions for a single event. More importantly, which one of these is the correct one? Let’s find out.

Let’s Go Back in Time

Before the arrival of the scientific revolution, humans didn’t know how to calculate the change in the season in terms of astronomical calculations. WHY? Because they didn’t have the telescope to do such nasty observations.

Therefore, what they used to do is to calculate the change in season as humanly as possible. With time, early humans understood that the sun seemed to cross over the horizon after a fixed interval of time. Additionally, they also understood the pattern of the annual temperature cycle.

In other words, what early humans used to do is to calculate the relative things, like what they felt and observed with the naked eye, which is in fact in the modern notation known as the meteorological definition of summer solstice or simply meteorological summer.

On the other hand, what our astronomers and scientists calculate with their super-sophisticated technology is defined as the astronomical definition of summer solstice or simply astronomical summer.

Therefore, to conclude, I would say that both definitions are correct in their own sense. Hence, as a result, some people define summer solstice in the northern hemisphere as the first day of summer.

On the contrary, some people define it as the end of half of the summer season. Therefore, mid-summer. Not to mention, the meteorological seasons always arrive approximately 20 days before the arrival of astronomical seasons. To understand it more clearly, refer to the below table.

 

 

How Long is the Longest Day of the Year in the Northern Hemisphere?

How long is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere simply depends on the fact of how close you are to the north pole. In other words, the closer you reside to the north of the Arctic Circle towards the north pole, the more hours of daylight you will receive.

According to the data released by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, during the 2016 June solstice, the Russian port city of Murmansk received 24 hours of daylight. New York City received 15 hours and 5 minutes of daylight. And, New Delhi received 13 hours and 58 minutes of daylight during the June solstice.

If we talk about the whole of the Northern Hemisphere as one, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere received an average of 15 hours of daylight. Don’t forget, the closer you are to the North Pole, the maximum hours of daylight you will receive.

 

When is the Summer Solstice 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere?

In 2024, the June solstice i.e. summer solstice in the northern hemisphere will occur on Thursday, June 20 at 08:51 PM Universal Coordinated time (UTC). Therefore, as a result, marking the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Well, not just the longest, it will be the brightest day of the year in the earth’s northern hemisphere. Not to mention, this astronomical event will occur at the same moment for all of us.

In other words, whether you are living in Australia (i.e. in the southern hemisphere), or in London (i.e. in the northern hemisphere), it would be a moment of joy for all of us at the same instant.

Why does the summer solstice date vary?

Yes, the date of the solstice does vary. Well, it’s not rocket science to understand, just some basic physics. See, after every four years, there is a leap year. Therefore, in order to adjust the Gregorian Calendar with the eve of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the June solstice date varies.

For example, in 2020, the June solstice occurred on the 20th of the month. But this year i.e. 2024, it will occur on the 21st of the month. Not to mention, there are some other factors too, that contribute to the variation in the dates of the Summer solstice. But, just to make things simple, I am just neglecting them.

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