As we speak is the summer season solstice, often known as the longest day of the yr as a result of it has the best variety of hours of sunshine and the bottom variety of nighttimes. At the present time marks the start of summer season within the Northern Hemisphere.
Why do we’ve a solstice day?
The day of the summer season and winter solstice outcomes from one reality: the earth rotates on a tilted axis – at an angle of 23.5 levels. This tendency – in all probability because of an enormous collision of a celestial physique with the earth billions of years in the past – signifies that in half of the yr, the north pole faces the solar, and within the different half, the south pole receives extra mild. The summer season solstice happens every year on June 20 or 21, when the Solar reaches its northernmost level above the celestial equator (an imaginary circle in house that circles the Earth perpendicular to the Earth’s axis of rotation).
What number of hours of daylight will we’ve on the solstice day?
In Israel, the variety of daylight can be round 14 hours and 14 minutes. Jerusalem, for example, will see dawn round 5:35 am and sundown round 7:49 pm. The precise daylight might fluctuate barely relying on the precise geographical location inside Israel. The northernmost states may have 24 hours of daylight, many of the United States may have between 14 and 16 hours of daylight.
Dawn within the Herodion Nationwide Park, picture: Ami Fraser
Is there a really late sundown on the solstice day?
not in all places. As you progress north, the size of the day will increase, and in areas near the Arctic Circle, the solar doesn’t set in any respect and stays above the horizon for twenty-four hours. In Israel, the most recent sundown can be within the westernmost elements of the nation, as a result of sundown happens later as you progress west. The westernmost space in Israel is the coastal strip, so it may be anticipated that the most recent sundown will happen in cities comparable to Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Netanya, and Haifa.
cultural and historic significance
All through historical past, the summer season solstice has been a central date in lots of cultures, and in some, the day continues to be celebrated with ceremonies and celebrations. for instance, Midsummer In Northern Europe, particularly in Sweden and Finland, they have fun the midsummer vacation. The vacation contains conventional dancing and singing, lighting bonfires and consuming conventional meals comparable to salted fish and potatoes. Feast of San Juan (San Juan) In Spain and different Spanish-speaking international locations, it’s celebrated on the night time of June 23 with bonfires, fireworks, and a nighttime bathtub within the sea. Stonehenge in England. 1000’s of revelers collect on the prehistoric website because the solar rises simply between the monument’s stones. in Hawaii, the summer season solstice It’s a part of the native Polynesian tradition. Throughout it, rituals associated to the solar and the worship of ancestors are carried out. The occasions embody hula dancing, singing and taking part in conventional devices. Rasos In Lithuania, the place they have fun the summer season solstice by leaping over bonfires and singing conventional songs. The vacation additionally symbolizes the start of summer season and the hope for harvest within the fields.
Is the summer season solstice actually the primary day of summer season?
It relies on whether or not you ask a meteorologist or an astronomer. In response to meteorologists, summer season is the three hottest months of the yr. However astronomically, summer season begins when the solar is precisely above latitude 23.5 levels north, that’s, on the solstice.
Do it’s good to apply sunscreen?
Sure, it’s endorsed to make use of sunscreen on sizzling summer season days. Though there may be nonetheless no conclusive analysis on the impact of the cream in stopping violent pores and skin most cancers, it actually helps to forestall disagreeable sunburns.
Solstice celebration website. Stonehenge, South West England, Picture: TheDigitalArtist / Pixabay
Are there solstices and equinoxes on different planets?
Sure! All of the planets within the photo voltaic system rotate on a tilted axis and subsequently have seasons. There are planets with a small inclination, like Mercury (2.11 levels), and there are some with an excessive inclination, like Uranus (98 levels!).
On the lookout for a gorgeous image of the solar?
The next picture was taken by NASA’s Photo voltaic Dynamic Observatory, which was launched in 2010 to higher perceive the Solar. NASA launched the spacecraft Parker Photo voltaic Probe that can come nearer to the floor of the Solar than another spacecraft and discover its ambiance, climate and magnetism.
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