Summer solstice as an event was always in geography textbooks. It is the longest day of the year for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. The date for this is fixed every year, June 21 as the sun on this day is above the Tropic of Cancer. Now for those in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the day of the winter solstice. What exactly happens during a solstice, how is the longest day of summer for some, does it mark the beginning of the summer season? In this article, we tell you all you need to know about his occurrence which interestingly also coincides with the annular solar eclipse of this year.

What and When is the Summer Solstice?

Solstice comes from the Latin word 'solstitium' that means 'sun-stopping'. So on the day of the solstice, the sun reverses its direction of the point where it appears to rise and set. Summer Solstice is also called as June Solstice since it occurs every year between June 20 and June 22. This year the exact time of summer solstice will be 9.44 PM UTC ie 3.14 AM IST.  Solar Eclipse 2020 on June 21: Year’s First Surya Grahan to Be Visible in India, Here’s the List of Places Where You Can See the Annular Solar Eclipse.

This day marks the beginning of the summer season in the Northern part of the earth. On this day, sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, or 23.5 degrees north latitude. The same day becomes the shortest day of the year for those living in the southern hemisphere. This is because of the tilted axis of the Earth's orbit around the sun. So parts of the world receive sun's light. So for those living in the north of the equator, the sunlight will be more than 12 hours. Those to the south of the equator will have days shorter than 12 hours.

The summer solstice is also celebrated as Midsummer in many cultures. The most important event is at Stonehenge in England, which is said to clearly mark this occurrence, the movement of the sun. People gather to celebrate the onset of summer here. This year celebrations become more significant for observers because it is also the annular solar eclipse of 2020.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2020 02:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).