The summer solstice is here. What to know about the longest day of the year
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What to know about the summer solstice in the UK
- The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year and the official start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, while signifying the shortest day and onset of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Derived from Latin words for "sun" and "pause," the solstice represents the sun's highest annual arc in the sky before it begins its gradual retreat.
- This celestial event occurs due to Earth's tilted axis, which, during the solstice, is at its most extreme tilt towards the sun, causing the greatest disparity in day and night lengths.
- For millennia, civilizations have observed and celebrated solstices, constructing monuments like Stonehenge that align precisely with the sun's paths during these pivotal moments.
- Solstices differ from equinoxes, which have nearly equal day and night lengths, and astronomical seasons, defined by Earth's movements, are distinct from meteorological seasons based on temperature cycles.