The longest day of the year is coming – understand the summer solstice

Although it is not in common use in our daily lives, the word solstice represents two moments that many love and others hate (and vice versa): the arrival of winter or summer.

These days the position of the Sun in the sky seems to be “still” for a short period. It is from this illusion that the name solstice derives, which comes from Latin and means “Sun still”.

During the summer solstice, which this year falls on Friday (22nd), the Sun reaches its maximum height in the sky. Sometimes the day is longer and the night is shorter. In winter the opposite happens, the star reaches its lowest point, making the day shorter and the night longer.

Thus, during the solstices, it is also observed that at the Equator day and night always have 12 hours. The Arctic and Antarctic Circles have only one day of the year with 24 hours of light or darkness.

The exact dates of the solstices can vary each year. They generally take place between 20 and 22 June and between 20 and 23 December. In Brazil, as in the entire southern hemisphere, the winter solstice is in June and the summer solstice is in December.

With information from School of Brazil.

The post The Longest Day of the Year is Coming: Understanding the Summer Solstice appeared first on Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital