Tomorrow will be the longest day of the year

Tomorrow, June 21, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year. Associated Press reported this.

This event is called the summer solstice and is considered one of the most important astronomical changes in nature. It marks the time when the Sun remains in the sky for the longest period and people enjoy the greatest amount of daylight.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite occurs. There, it will be the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter.

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words sol, meaning “sun,” and stitium, meaning “stop” or “pause.” The summer solstice marks the end of the Sun’s upward movement in the sky during the year, when it forms its longest and highest arc. After this day, it begins to “move back,” and the days gradually become shorter until late December.

What is a solstice?

As the Earth moves around the Sun, it does so on a slightly tilted axis. As a result, sunlight and heat are not distributed equally between the Northern and Southern hemispheres throughout the year.

Solstices are the moments when the Earth is tilted most strongly toward the Sun or farthest away from it. At these times, the two hemispheres receive different amounts of sunlight, and the difference between day and night becomes the greatest.

During the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the upper part of the Earth is tilted most toward the Sun. As a result, the longest day and shortest night of the year occur. This usually happens between June 20 and 22. This year, it falls on June 21.

The opposite occurs during the winter solstice: the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the Sun, resulting in the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice occurs between December 20 and 23.

Earlier, it was reported that a rare astronomical event — a total solar eclipse — will occur in the sky on August 12 this year. During this event, the Moon will pass between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking sunlight. As a result, daytime will briefly turn dark in some areas.