Classical Astronomy The blog of the Classical Astronomy Update, a free email newsletter especially for Christian homeschool families about astronomy happenings in the night sky (though everyone is welcome!) Also, watch this space for progress reports about "Signs and Seasons," the author's upcoming homeschool astronomy curriculum! 
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The Summer SolsticeDuring June, the Sun appears to pass through the stars of Taurus the Bull, and this constellation is therefore not visible. Toward month's end, the Sun enters the constellation Gemini the Twins. The constellation Orion, prominent in the early evening skies of January and February, is invisible during June, hidden by the bright glare of the Sun in nearby Gemini.
On the Summer Solstice, the Sun rises very far to the north and later sets very far to the north. The Sun is above the horizon for most of its 24 hour cycle and the length of daylight is greatest for people living north of the Equator. For this reason, the Summer Solstice is also The Longest Day of the Year.
However, the length of summer daylight is even greater for places further north. At the Arctic Circle, the Sun doesn't even set on the Summer Solstice! Way up in Alaska or Iceland, one would see the solstice Sun rising on the northern horizon at midnight, wheeling a full circle all the way around the sky, and again touching the horizon in the north the next midnight!
In the southern hemisphere, in places like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the constellation Gemini lies very low in the sky. So the solstice of June 21 is actually the Shortest Day of the Year in these southern lands. Observers in these locations can see the longest Noon shadows of the year. After this day, their shadows will get shorter as the shadows in the northern hemisphere grow longer.
In places to the north of the USA, like Canada and Europe, you can observe the "White Nights" during this season. In these times, the sky never gets completely dark! After sunset, the Sun scoots underneath the northern horizon, and a patch of twilight is always seen over the short summer night. The sky never gets completely dark, so that evening twilight merges with morning twilight! If anyone is planning a trip north this summer, to latitude 50 degrees or higher, try to notice this! Leave a Comment Leave a Comment |
On Wednesday, June 21, the Sun reaches the northernmost extent its annual cycle. This day is the Summer Solstice for observers in the northern hemisphere and is traditionally regarded as the official First Day of Summer. On the Solstice, the Sun is at its highest point of the year in the Noon sky, and the shadows at Noon are the shortest they can be. Be sure to observe this in the coming months and notice how the Noon shadows get longer as the months go by.
Here in Cleveland, the daylight on the longest day lasts about 15 hours. Cleveland is near latitude 40 degrees North, along with many other large American cities, such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. So the length of daylight is about the same for these cities as well. 
