Summer solstice 2022 marks the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere

By Daisy Dobrijevic published about 3 hours ago

Summer officially began today (June 21) at 5:14 a.m. EDT (0914 GMT), huzzah!

From Stonehenge's circle of standing stones, the sun will rise directly over an ancient avenue leading away to the northeast on the solstice. Stonehenge is located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. (Image credit: jessicaphoto via Getty Images )

Summer officially kicks off in the Northern Hemisphere today (June 21), marking the longest day of the year. 

During the June solstice (or summer solstice), the sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. Delivering the maximum daylight hours of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and minimum daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Chris Vaughan, amateur astronomer with SkySafari Software who oversees Space.com's Night Sky calendar.

This year, the summer solstice officially occurred at 5:14 a.m. EDT (0914 GMT), when the sun reached a point directly overhead of the Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23.5 degrees north). 

In addition to the longest day of the year and the start of summer, the June solstice also occurs at the moment the northern half of Earth is tilted toward the sun, resulting in the Northern Hemisphere receiving sunlight at the most direct angle of the year. 

To determine how many hours of daylight you'll receive during the June solstice you can use The Farmer's Almanac Sunrise and Sunset Calculator(opens in new tab).

As always, there are two sides to every story. While the Northern Hemisphere welcomes longer days and warmer temperatures, the June solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky.