Longest day of the year in Northern Hemisphere has arrived. Know about summer solstice and its reason

The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere has arrived. It will hit at 4.50 PM on June 20. This is not a rare event, but it is certainly one of the most interesting annual astrological events. It is summer solstice. At this point, the sun will reach its highest point in the sky as it will be directly above the Tropic of Cancer. It will make the longest day with the shortest night in the northern hemisphere. It will also herald the onset of Cancer season. The summer solstice holds astrological significance and the people have been observing certain rituals from the pre-historic period.

Reason behind solstices
As the Earth spins on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees away from vertical, the sun’s height in the sky each day changes. So, the hemispheres lean either toward or away from the sun, it depends on the time of year. When the northern half of the planet leans toward the sun, there is a summer season. On the other hand, when the southern half of the planet leans away from the sun, there is a winter season.


Spring and Autumn Equinoxes
It is also important that between the summer solstice and the winter solstice, people have been observing the spring and autumn equinoxes from time immemorial. They celebrate it as a festival when sunlight and night are evenly distributed.

Stonehenge
Thousands of people are expected to reach Stonehenge in England to celebrate the summer solstice. Celebrations on the occasion of solstice have been held annually for thousands of years. The Stonehenge rock formation perfectly aligns with the sun's movement on both the summer and winter solstices.

FAQs:

At which time will the summer solstice take place this year?
Summer solstice in 2024 will take place at 4.50 PM Eastern Time on June 20 in the US. It will be the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

What is Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is a prehistoric megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It was constructed from around 3100 BC to 1600 BC, and the circle of large sarsen stones was placed between 2600 BC and 2400 BC.