Summer Solstice 2021

Solstices are the planet’s longest and shortest days of the year. The longest day often marks the beginning of the summer and is called the summer solstice. The shortest day often marks the beginning of the summer and is called the winter solstice. The summer solstice happens twice a year, once in each hemisphere (northern and southern). The northern hemisphere’s summer solstice happens in June when the north pole is tilted most directly towards the sun. This tilt means the summer solstice has the most hours of sunlight and is the brightest day of the year.

When does Summer Solstice Occur?

The summer solstice occurs between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and between December 20 and December 23 in the Southern Hemisphere. The same dates in the opposite hemisphere are referred to as winter solstice. This year’s summer solstice has occurred on the 21st of June. In the southern hemisphere where the seasons are flipped the situation is reversed due to which there is a December solstice in the southern hemisphere. Because the exact solstice dates may vary year to year on calendars, Meteorologists do not use them to mark the seasons. That means the day of the winter solstice may not always correspond with the first day of winter. Both the summer and winter solstice along with the Autumnal and Vernal equinoxes help shepherd in the changing of the seasons. On the summer solstice, Earth’s maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44° and the Sun’s declination from the celestial equator is 23.44.