Wednesday 21 June 2017

Solstice

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:

Cloudia said...

I love these photos, and wish you many more happy Solstices, dear Wil

Kay said...

These are such beautiful photos, Wil. Even here in Hawaii, we feel the lengthening of the days in summer, and more darkness in winter.

Lady Fi said...

So very gorgeous!

Lea said...

Beautiful sky photos!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Such lovely photos. Three years ago we were in Alaska on the Day of the Summer Solstice -- it was broad daylight for 24 hours!