Many people are confused by the term “summer solstice”, but actually all it means is the longest day of the year, and it occurs on either June 20th, 21st, or 22nd each year. This year it is/was (depending upon when you are reading this) June 21st when the UK has 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight. Yes, the sun rises at 4.52am and sets at 9.26pm.
Geographically speaking, the summer solstice is the point at which the earth’s axis is at its’ maximum inclination towards the sun and is directly above the Tropic of Cancer. It is the point at which the sun’s path stops moving northward in the sky and begins to return the other way resulting in the days becoming shorter as we progress towards the winter solstice, which this year is on Monday December 21st. Then we have just 7 hours and 50 minutes of daylight.
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