Explainer: What is the summer solstice?
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(WWLP) — Sunday is the summer solstice and it will occur at 11:32 p.m. ET.
Astronomically, this is the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and is also known as the longest day of the year. For a few days before and after the solstice, the sun will appear to stand still.
The word solstice actually comes from Latin, where “SOL” means “SUN” and “SISTERE” means “TO STAND STILL.” So when put together, it loosely means, “SUN STAND STILL.”
On Sunday, the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. This means there is less sunlight in the Southern Hemisphere and more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic Circle receives 24 hours of sunlight, while the Antarctic circle stays dark and receives no sunlight.
The amount of sunlight in each day will start to slowly decrease as we head to the winter solstice.
