All you need to know about Summer Solstice 2024: The solstices, which mark the changing of seasons, occur twice a year and indicate the year’s shortest and longest daylight hours, depending on the hemisphere in which one is located, during which the length of day and night differ significantly. This makes solstice days more noticeable to many observers in comparison to the subtle equality of day and night experienced during equinoxes.
So, after an enduring arctic winter for half a year, the northern hemisphere witnesses the longest day and shortest night of the year, marking the summer solstice, whereas the southern hemisphere experiences summer in December.
The summer solstice is celebrated as the beginning of summer, or midsummer when one of Earth’s poles is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. After this, the days gradually tend to become shorter. Here’s all you need to know and what to expect on the day of the Summer Solstice this year, in 2024.
Summer Solstice 2024: What’s the date and time?
Every year, June 21 is marked as the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere of the world. According to NASA, this year, the summer solstice globally will appear on June 20 at 4:50 p.m. EDT. However, in India, it will occur on June 21 at 8:09 p.m. IST.
Summer Solstice 2024: The science behind it
The Earth rotates on its axis, causing the Northern Hemisphere to receive more direct sunlight between March and September. This means that people living in the Northern Hemisphere experience summer during this time because the Earth’s axis is tilted at about 23.5 degrees, causing the North Pole to be tipped towards the sun while the South Pole is away from it.
As a result, when the North Pole points most directly towards the sun and reaches its highest point at solar noon for regions outside of the tropics, we experience the longest amount of daylight for the year. According to NASA, this occurs on June 20, 21, or 22, marking the summer solstice, which means “sun stands still” in Latin.
Summer Solstice 2024: Know its origin and significance
Tracing the origin, it was around 200 BC when Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek scholar, conducted a groundbreaking experiment to measure the Earth’s circumference. He observed that on the summer solstice, sunlight shone directly down a well in Aswan, Egypt, indicating the sun was directly overhead.
Further, while travelling north to Alexandria, he noted the shadows cast by obelisks were not vertical, suggesting the sun was not directly overhead. By calculating the difference in shadow lengths between the two cities and the distance between them, Eratosthenes was able to provide an early, remarkably accurate estimate of the Earth’s circumference while also offering compelling evidence that the Earth is a sphere rather than flat.
Hence, the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. Spiritually, the summer solstice represents a time of renewal, growth, and connection to the natural world. Many cultures view the summer solstice as the “middle of summer,” or a time of celebration and honouring the sun’s life-giving power.
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First uploaded on: 20-06-2024 at 11:47 IST
