The world is on a date with an important astronomical event on June 21, 2021

Weather of Arabia - The world is witnessing an important astronomical event on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 7:21 am Mecca time, when the North Pole of the Earth is at its maximum inclination towards the sun, so the sun perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. On this day, the northern hemisphere receives the longest amount of sunlight of the year.

This day marks the official start and the first day of the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, and the first day of the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

What is the summer solstice?

Because the Earth revolves around the sun during the year, the sun does not rise and sets in the same locations on the horizon every morning and evening. Rather, the point of sunrise and sunset changes north or south in the sky, meaning that the path of the sun in the sky becomes higher or lower throughout the year. On the summer solstice, the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, at which point the sun's path does not change for a brief period of time.

After the day of the summer solstice, the sun appears to reverse its course and start heading south. The movement referred to here is the apparent path of the sun in the earth’s sky at the same time every day, and this change in position in the sky that we observe from the earth is caused by the tilt of the earth’s axis during its rotation around the sun In addition, the Earth's orbit is elliptical, not circular.

Does a solstice always happen on the same day?

The timing of the June solstice does not depend on a specific date or time in the calendar; It all depends on when the Sun reaches the northernmost point of the celestial equator. Therefore, the solstice will not always occur on the same day. Currently, it shifts between June 20, 21 and 22.

The longest day of the year

The summer solstice is the day when the sun has the longest period of sunlight. Notice how the sun appears high up in the sky at the solstice. Its rays strike the Earth at a more direct angle, causing the effective warming we call summer. Since the sun is highest in the sky on this day, you'll notice that your shadow (local, solar, or noon, not noon) is the shortest all year. [Local noon is when the sun crosses the local meridian (an imaginary line between the north and south poles) and is highest in the sky during the day.]

Traditionally, the summer solstice and its invigorating effect on the planet are a cause for celebration around the world.

In Sweden, midday celebrations include outdoor dancing, flower picking, a feast of pickled herring, boiled potatoes, and lots of liqueur. At night, traditions find some Swedish girls placing seven different types of flowers under their pillows, in order to ensure that their future husbands will appear in their dreams.

In Iceland, where the sun sets after midnight during the solstice, people take advantage of the extended daylight to flow into a four-day music festival in Reykjavik, featuring more than 100 artists.

But the summer solstice is not just an occasion to celebrate. This particular date also holds important historical significance. For example, the ancient Greeks identified the summer solstice in their calendars as the first official day of the year. The Mayas and Aztecs honored it by building new structures using the alignment of the sun and shadows produced on that date.