Summer solstice - wikipedia Summer solstice For other uses, see Summer solstice ( disambiguation ). UT date and time of equinoxes and solstices on Earth event equinox solstice equinox solstice month March June September December year day time day time day time day time 20 17 : 32 21 11 : 28 23 03 : 09 21 23 : 38 2011 20 23 : 21 21 17 : 16 23 09 : 04 22 05 : 30 2012 20 05 : 14 20 23 : 09 22 14 : 49 21 11 : 12 2013 20 11 : 02 21 05 : 04 22 20 : 44 21 17 : 11 2014 20 16 : 57 21 10 : 51 23 02 : 29 21 23 : 03 2015 20 22 : 45 21 16 : 38 23 08 : 21 22 04 : 48 2016 20 04 : 30 20 22 : 34 22 14 : 21 21 10 : 44 2017 20 10 : 28 21 04 : 24 22 20 : 02 21 16 : 28 2018 20 16 : 15 21 10 : 07 23 01 : 54 21 22 : 23 2019 20 21 : 58 21 15 : 54 23 07 : 50 22 04 : 19 2020 20 03 : 50 20 21 : 44 22 13 : 31 21 10 : 02 The Earth at midnight during the summer solstice in June 2017 The summer solstice ( or estival solstice ), also known as midsummer, occurs when a planet 's rotational axis, or geographical pole on either its northern or its Southern Hemisphere, is most inclined toward the star that it orbits. On the summer solstice, Earth 's maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44 °. ( Likewise, the Sun 's declination from the celestial equator is + 23.44 ° in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere and − 23.44 ° in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere. ) This happens twice each year ( once in each hemisphere ), when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole. The summer solstice occurs during the hemisphere 's summer. This is the June solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the December solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs some time between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and between December 20 and December 23 each year in the Southern Hemisphere. The same dates in the opposite hemisphere are referred to as the winter solstice. As seen from a geographic pole, the Sun reaches its highest altitude of the year on the summer solstice. It can be solar noon only along that longitude, which at that moment lies in the direction of the Sun from the pole. For other longitudes, it is not noon. Noon has either passed or has yet to come. Hence the notion of a solstice day is useful. The term is colloquially used like `` midsummer '' to refer to the day on which solstice occurs. The summer solstice day has the longest period of daylight, except in the polar regions, where daytime remains continuous for 24 hours every day during a period ranging from a few days to six months around the summer solstice. Contents 1 Distinctions 2 Full moon 3 Cultural aspects 4 Date 5 Celebrations 5.1 Winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere 6 Length of the day on the summer solstice of the north 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Distinctions Diagram of the Earth 's seasons as seen from the north. Far left : summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere. Front right : summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere, the dates of earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary by a few days. This is related to the fact that the earth orbits the sun in an ellipse and its orbital speed varies slightly during the year. Although the sun appears at its highest altitude from the viewpoint of an observer in outer space or a terrestrial observer outside tropical latitudes, the highest altitude occurs on a different day for locations in the tropics, specifically the sun is directly overhead ( maximum 90 degrees elevation ) at the subsolar point. This day occurs twice each year for all locations between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn because the overhead sun appears to cross a given latitude once before the day of the solstice and once afterward. For example, Lahaina Noon occurs in May and July in Hawaii. See solstice article. For all observers, the apparent position of the noon sun is at its most northerly point on the June solstice and most southerly on the December solstice. Full moon 2016 was the first time in nearly 70 years that a full moon and the Northern Hemisphere 's summer solstice occurred on the same day. The 2016 summer solstice 's full moon rose just as the Sun set. Cultural aspects Main article : Midsummer Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals around that time with themes of religion or fertility. In some regions, the summer solstice is seen as the beginning of summer and the end of spring. In other cultural conventions, the solstice is closer to the middle of summer. Summer solstice sunset over the Mojave Desert 7 : 54 p.m. PDT ( 19 : 54 ) June 20, 2016 Solstice is derived from the Latin words sol ( sun ) and sistere ( to stand still ). Date Celebrations Day of Private Reflection ( Northern Ireland ) Fremont Solstice Parade ( Fremont, Seattle, Washington, United States ) Guru Purnima ( India ) Christmas typically marks the southern summer solstice. International Surfing Day International Yoga Day Juhannus ( Finland ) Jāņi ( Latvia ) Midsummer National Aboriginal Day ( Canada ) Tiregān ( Iran ) World Music Day Winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere Inti Raymi, Machu Picchu, Peru We Tripantu, ( Mapuche, southern Chile ) Willkakuti, an Andean - Amazonic New Year ( Aymara ) Length of the day on the summer solstice of the north The following tables contain information on the length of the day on the summer solstice of the northern hemisphere and winter solstice of the southern hemisphere ( i.e. June solstice ). The data was collected from the website of the Finnish Meteorological Institute on 20 June 2016 as well as from certain other websites. The data is arranged geographically and within the tables from the longest day to the shortest one. Fennoscandia and the Baltic states City Sunrise 20 June 2016 Sunset 20 June 2016 Length of the day Rovaniemi -- -- 24 h Kem ' 01 : 44 23 : 42 21 h 58 min Reykjavík 2 : 55 21.6. 2016 0 : 03 21 h 08 min Trondheim 3 : 02 23 : 37 20 h 35 min Tórshavn 3 : 36 23 : 21 19 h 45 min Petrozavodsk 2 : 55 22 : 33 19 h 38 min Helsinki 3 : 54 22 : 49 18 h 55 min Saint Petersburg 3 : 35 22 : 25 18 h 50 min Oslo 3 : 53 22 : 43 18 h 49 min Tallinn 4 : 03 22 : 42 18 h 39 min Stockholm 3 : 30 22 : 07 18 h 37 min Riga 4 : 29 22 : 21 17 h 52 min Copenhagen 4 : 25 21 : 57 17 h 32 min Vilnius 4 : 41 21 : 59 17 h 17 min Europe City Sunrise 20 June 2016 Sunset 20 June 2016 Length of the day Edinburgh 4 : 26 22 : 02 17 h 36 min Moscow 3 : 44 21 : 17 17 h 33 min Berlin 4 : 43 21 : 33 16 h 49 min London 4 : 43 21 : 21 16 h 38 min Paris 5 : 46 21 : 57 16 h 10 min Rome 5 : 34 20 : 48 15 h 13 min Madrid 6 : 44 21 : 48 15 h 03 min Lisbon 6 : 11 21 : 04 14 h 52 min Athens 6 : 02 20 : 50 14 h 48 min Africa City Sunrise 20 June 2016 Sunset 20 June 2016 Length of the day Cairo 4 : 54 18 : 59 14 h 04 min Dakar 6 : 41 19 : 41 12 h 59 min Addis Ababa 6 : 07 18 : 46 12 h 38 min Nairobi 6 : 32 18 : 35 12 h 02 min Kinshasa 6 : 04 17 : 56 11 h 52 min Dar es Salaam 6 : 32 18 : 16 11 h 43 min Luanda 6 : 20 17 : 56 11 h 36 min Jamestown 6 : 49 17 : 59 11 h 10 min Antananarivo 6 : 21 17 : 21 10 h 59 min Windhoek 6 : 30 17 : 15 10 h 44 min Johannesburg 6 : 54 17 : 24 10 h 29 min Cape Town 7 : 51 17 : 44 9 h 53 min Middle East City Sunrise 20 June 2016 Sunset 20 June 2016 Length of the day Tehran 5 : 48 20 : 23 14 h 34 min Beirut 5 : 27 19 : 52 14 h 24 min Baghdad 4 : 53 19 : 14 14 h 21 min Jerusalem 5 : 33 19 : 47 14 h 13 min Riyadh 5 : 04 18 : 44 13 h 39 min Muscat 5 : 19 18 : 55 13 h 35 min Sana'a 5 : 33 18 : 35 13 h 02 min Americas City Sunrise 20 June 2016 Sunset 20 June 2016 Length of the day Fairbanks 2 : 57 21.6. 00 : 47 21 h 49 min Nuuk 2 : 53 21.6. 00 : 03 21 h 09 min Iqaluit 2 : 11 23 : 00 20 h 49 min Anchorage 4 : 20 23 : 41 19 h 21 min Kodiak 5 : 07 23 : 14 18 h 06 min Sitka 4 : 06 22 : 00 17 h 54 min Unalaska 6 : 34 23 : 41 17 h 06 min Vancouver 5 : 06 21 : 21 16 h 14 min Seattle 5 : 11 21 : 10 15 h 59 min Ottawa 5 : 14 20 : 54 15 h 40 min New York 5 : 24 20 : 30 15 h 05 min Washington, D.C. 5 : 42 20 : 36 14 h 53 min Los Angeles 5 : 42 20 : 07 14 h 25 min Miami 6 : 30 20 : 14 13 h 44 min Havana 6 : 44 20 : 17 13 h 33 min Honolulu 5 : 50 19 : 16 13 h 25 min Mexico City 6 : 59 20 : 17 13 h 18 min Managua 5 : 21 18 : 11 12 h 50 min Bogotá 5 : 46 18 : 09 12 h 23 min Quito 6 : 12 18 : 19 12 h 06 min Lima 6 : 27 17 : 52 11 h 24 min Rio de Janeiro 6 : 32 17 : 16 10 h 43 min Santiago 7 : 46 17 : 42 9 h 56 min Buenos Aires 8 : 00 17 : 50 9 h 49 min Ushuaia 9 : 58 17 : 11 7 h 12 min Asia and Oceania City Sunrise 20 June 2016 Sunset 20 June 2016 Length of the day Provideniya 0 : 52 22 : 16 21 h 23 min Magadan 3 : 37 22 : 19 18 h 41 min Petropavlovsk 4 : 58 21 : 55 16 h 56 min Khabarovsk 4 : 57 21 : 04 16 h 07 min Ulaanbaatar 5 : 52 21 : 54 16 h 01 min Vladivostok 5 : 32 20 : 55 15 h 22 min Beijing 4 : 45 19 : 46 15 h 00 min Seoul 5 : 11 19 : 56 14 h 46 min Tokyo 4 : 25 19 : 00 14 h 34 min Shanghai 4 : 50 19 : 01 14 h 10 min Lhasa 6 : 55 20 : 58 14 h 03 min Delhi 5 : 23 19 : 21 13 h 58 min Kathmandu 5 : 08 19 : 02 13 h 53 min Taipei 5 : 04 18 : 46 13 h 41 min Hong Kong 5 : 39 19 : 09 13 h 30 min Manila 5 : 27 18 : 27 12 h 59 min Bangkok 5 : 51 18 : 47 12 h 56 min Singapore 7 : 00 19 : 12 12 h 11 min Jakarta 6 : 01 17 : 47 11 h 45 min Darwin 7 : 06 18 : 29 11 h 23 min Papeete 6 : 27 17 : 32 11 h 04 min Sydney 6 : 59 16 : 53 9 h 53 min Auckland 7 : 33 17 : 11 9 h 37 min Melbourne 7 : 35 17 : 07 9 h 32 min Dunedin 8 : 19 16 : 59 8 h 39 min See also Daytime Equinox Stonehenge Tekufah Xiazhi ( Summer solstice in Chinese culture ) References Jump up ^ United States Naval Observatory ( 21 September 2015 ). `` Earth 's Seasons : Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000 -- 2025 ''. Retrieved 9 December 2015. Jump up ^ http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-the-weather/how-weather-works/when-does-spring-start Jump up ^ `` The June Solstice ''. Time and Date AS. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Solstice ( astronomy ) ''. Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 20. Jump up ^ `` December Solstice ''. Time and Date AS. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 30. Jump up ^ `` US Naval Observatory : Sunrise and Sunset Times Near the Solstices ''. Retrieved 21 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Long Story ( USNO explanation ) ''. Retrieved 21 June 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Full Moon and Summer Solstice coincide on the same day ''. The Old Farmer 's Almanac. Retrieved 21 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Summer solstice celebrations of Christianity, Judaism, Neopaganism, etc ''. Religioustolerance.org. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 20. Jump up ^ http://weather.about.com/od/climatechange/fl/Astronomical-vs-Meteorological-Seasons.htm Jump up ^ `` Paikallissää Helsinki '' ( ' Local weather in Helsinki ' ) ( in Finnish ). Finnish Meteorological Institute. 2016 - 06 - 20. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Jamestown, Saint Helena ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Fairbanks ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Nuuk ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Iqaluit ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sitka ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Unalaska ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Provideniya ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Katmandu ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. External links Table of dates / times from 1600 -- 2400 Wheel of the Year Midwinter / Yule Imbolc / Gŵyl Fair Vernal equinox / Ostara Beltane / Calan Mai Midsummer Lughnasadh / Calan Awst Autumnal equinox / Mabon Samhain / Calan Gaeaf Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Summer_solstice&oldid=823548824 '' Categories : Time in astronomy International observances Summer Hidden categories : CS1 Finnish - language sources ( fi ) Talk Contents About Wikipedia भोजपुरी Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Galego 한국어 Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Қазақша Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Lietuvių Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 1 February 2018, at 22 : 43. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: when does the summer solstice occur in the northern hemisphere
Answer: some time between June 20 and June 22