It's that time of year again. The first day of summer. The Summer Solstice. Many of us hear that phrase thrown around twice a year, for the summer and winter solstices, but what is it really? Here are 10 facts about the summer solstice:
1) How the solstice got its name- The name is derived from the latin- Sol means sun, and sistere means to stand still.
2) Summer Solstice marks the first day of summer.
3) Summer Solstice is when the earth's axis points closest to the sun.- The earths axis goes through the north and south poles. However, that axis does "point" straight up and down with respect to the sun. It is tilted slightly, 23 degrees from "straight up". As the earth moves around the sun, this angle remains the same, so for half of the year the northern hemisphere is directed moreso towards the sun, while for half the year the southern hemisphere is directed closer to the sun.
4) Summer solstice is the longest day of the year- Because the axis points closest to the sun, this is the maximum amount of time the sun remains in the sky, giving the longest day of the year.
5) The summer solstice in the north is the winter solstice in the south- The longest day of the year in the north is the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. This also corresponds to the first day of winter, or winter solstice, for our friends down south.
6) Some places the day is so long it never ends!- In the far north, places like northern Alaska, the earth is directed at the sun such that the sun never sets, or it looks like sunset for a few hours before the sun rises again for weeks or months on end!
7) The solstice occurs somewhere between June 20-22- The solstice most commonly occurs on June 20 or 21, and this year it fell on June 21. The next June 22 solstice will occur in 2203!
8) During the northern hemisphere summer solstice, the earth is at its furthest point from the sun. During the winter, the earth is actually at its closest point, however the north is at this time directed away from the sun. This comes from the fact that Earth's orbit around the sun is not circular, but rather elliptical.
9) Stonehenge aligns with the sun during the solstice- Noone quite knows what stonehenge was designed for, but the symmetry of the monument is clear during the summer solstice- the sun shines directly on the heel stone during the sunrise of the solstice. Other theories regarding Stonehenge's purpose include a calendar, much like a sundial; a predictor of eclipses; an ancient burial ground; and a place of pagan worship.
10) 23,000 people turned out for the stonehenge sunrise this year- Down from 36,000 last year, thousands still go to hang out at stonehenge for the summer solstice and celebrate the longest day of the year.
