Today is the longest day in the year.
| UT date and time of equinoxes and solstices on Earth[1]
 | 
| event | equinox | solstice | equinox | solstice | 
| month | March | June | September | December | 
| year | 
| day | time | day | time | day | time | day | time | 
| 2010 | 20 | 17:32 | 21 | 11:28 | 23 | 03:09 | 21 | 23:38 | 
| 2011 | 20 | 23:21 | 21 | 17:16 | 23 | 09:04 | 22 | 05:30 | 
| 2012 | 20 | 05:14 | 20 | 23:09 | 22 | 14:49 | 21 | 11:12 | 
| 2013 | 20 | 11:02 | 21 | 05:04 | 22 | 20:44 | 21 | 17:11 | 
| 2014 | 20 | 16:57 | 21 | 10:51 | 23 | 02:29 | 21 | 23:03 | 
| 2015 | 20 | 22:45 | 21 | 16:38 | 23 | 08:21 | 22 | 04:48 | 
| 2016 | 20 | 04:30 | 20 | 22:34 | 22 | 14:21 | 21 | 10:44 | 
| 2017 | 20 | 10:28 | 21 | 04:24 | 22 | 20:02 | 21 | 16:28 | 
| 2018 | 20 | 16:15 | 21 | 10:07 | 23 | 01:54 | 21 | 22:23 | 
| 2019 | 20 | 21:58 | 21 | 15:54 | 23 | 07:50 | 22 | 04:19 | 
| 2020 | 20 | 03:50 | 20 | 21:44 | 22 | 13:31 | 21 | 10:02 | 
The 
Solstice occurs twice each year (around June 21 and December 22) as the 
Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the 
celestial equator on the 
celestial sphere. The 
seasons of the year are directly connected to both the solstices and the 
equinoxes.
|  | 
| Sunset | 
|  | 
| Sunset | 
The term 
solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the 
day when this occurs. The day of the solstice has either the most 
sunlight of the year (
summer solstice) or the least sunlight of the year (
winter solstice) for any place other than the equator. Alternative terms, with no ambiguity as to which hemisphere is the context, are 
June solstice and 
December solstice, referring to the months of year in which they take place.
|  | 
| Sunrise | 
|  | 
| Sunrise | 
At latitudes outside the 
tropics,
 the summer solstice marks the day when the sun appears highest in the 
sky. 
The word 
solstice is derived from the 
Latin sol (sun) and 
sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in 
declination; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's path (as seen from 
Earth) comes to a stop before reversing direction.
5 comments:
I love these photos, and wish you many more happy Solstices, dear Wil
These are such beautiful photos, Wil. Even here in Hawaii, we feel the lengthening of the days in summer, and more darkness in winter.
So very gorgeous!
Beautiful sky photos!
Such lovely photos. Three years ago we were in Alaska on the Day of the Summer Solstice -- it was broad daylight for 24 hours!
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