With the sweltering heat in most parts of the world, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the summer solstice on June 21, the longest day of the year. This day is celebrated as a festivity that marks the beginning of the warmer months, longer days, shorter nights, early dawns, and late sunsets in the Northern Hemisphere. From this day, the sun will not set at the north pole or rise at the south pole. The summer solstice, also known as estival solstice or midsummer, is celebrated by many cultures worldwide with numerous traditions, holidays and festivals. And there are many interesting things about the June solstice that you must know, making the longest day of the year even more fascinating. When is summer solstice 2024? What does solstice mean? Here, answer all your frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the midsummer.

The celebration of June Solstice is different in every country. This article will provide all your summer solstice FAQs answered.

When Is Summer Solstice?

Summer Solstice will occur on June 20 at 4:50 PM EDT and in case of India, it will happen on June 21 at 2:20 AM IST.

What Does Solstice Mean?

According to NASA, ‘solstice’ means ‘sun stands still’ in Latin. This phenomenon occurs because Earth rotates on its axis that is tilted by 23.5 degrees. During its annual orbit of the Sun, different parts of the Earth receive sunlight for different durations of time. The June Solstice this year will see the Northern Hemisphere tilted towards the sun to the maximum extent. The sun rises at the farthest northeast on the horizon, reaches its extreme northerly point in the sky at midday and sets in the farthest northwest. Thus, it remains in the sky for the longest period, resulting in more sunlight and warmer temperatures.

What Happens In The Southern Hemisphere?

During the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the southern hemisphere will experience its shortest day of the year, or the one with the least duration of sunlight.

Why Solstice Is Early This Year?

Usually, Summer Solstice occurs on June 21 every year, but this is not the case for this season. This year's Solstice is particularly early. This is primarily due to the fact that 2024 is a leap year. Mostly during leap years, solstice and equinoxes occur about 18 hours and 11 minutes earlier than the previous year, according to the Washington Post. During the non-leap year, the timing of the solstice happens later, thus, the timings are adjusted.

Summer Solstice Celebration

Several ancient celebrations are associated with June Solstice. People organise calendars and farmers sow or harvest crops on this auspicious day. In Sweden, people throw all kinds of parties during Summer Solstice. People dance around the maypole with flowers in their hair, eat smoked fish and take shots. In India, the solstice will collide with the Yoga Day and people will carry out mass yoga sessions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2024 07:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).