Summer Days are here! Today is the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. What exactly IS the summer solstice? Is it really the longest day of the year?
This solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. (By longest “day,” it means the longest period of sunlight hours.) On the day of the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year.