June solstice has begun! Many people have anticipated the start of summer. Simon Proud, an Earth-observation scientist at the National Center for Earth Observation in the U.K., even shared a clip of how our planet changed to pave the way for the solstice.
Watch How Earth's Tilt Changed
The variations in day length throughout the year are caused by Earth's tilt toward its orbital plane. The summer solstice, which occurred on June 21 at 10:57 a.m., coincided with the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. (1457 GMT) EDT.
The Northern Hemisphere of the Earth is most inclined toward the sun at the summer solstice, receiving the most daylight during the day. This indicates that the day is the longest for the planet's northern half, where summer is reaching its height, Space.com reported.
But while the Southern Hemisphere is wading through its darkest day of winter, the Northern Hemisphere is reveling in brightness. The Northern Hemisphere will start losing minutes of daylight tomorrow, while the Southern Hemisphere's day will grow longer. In a video posted on Twitter, Simon Proud, an Earth observation scientist at the National Center for Earth Observation in the U.K., demonstrates how the terminator line, which marks the transition between day and night, travels throughout the year.
This film was created using 365 images, all shot at 6 a.m. The data from the Eumetsat weather satellite shows how the sun travels throughout the year. Proud wrote in the caption, "on every day for the past year."
The video received several praises. Tereza Pultarova said it was "awesome." Another said it would have been cooler if they could see the Earth's monthly rotation.
Summer Solstice 2023
On Wednesday, the longest day and shortest night of the year occurred. In a previous report from Science Times, today (June 22), the crescent moon, which is 21% illuminated, will shine near Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo. Toward the northern horizon, there will be a faint sight of Mars and Venus.
According to Time and Date, the astronomical summer solstice marks the start of the season. In the Northern Hemisphere, which includes North America, Europe, Northern Africa, and much of Asia, it is June Solstice. The December solstice for the southern hemisphere impacts Australia, New Zealand, South America, and southern Africa.
Meteorologists use a different approach to calculate the first day of summer. Additionally, several countries determine the start of the seasons on average temperatures rather than fixed dates or astronomical occurrences.
Astronomical summer begins on the summer solstice, the year's longest day. This means the days get shorter during the summer as the September equinox and the start of fall approach very slowly at first, then at ever-larger daily intervals.
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