The June solstice is the time of year when the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky. This point is directly above the Tropic of Cancer—a parallel line 23.5° north of Earth’s equator.
June solstice in 2026
When it occurs: The June solstice will fall on June 21, 2026, at 08:25 UTC (4:25 a.m. EDT).
Effect on day and night: As the sun shines directly above the Tropic of Cancer on June 21, 2026, the Northern Hemisphere will receive the most direct sunlight, while the Southern Hemisphere will receive the most indirect sunlight.
As a result, the June solstice on June 21, 2026, will bring the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, it will bring the shortest day and longest night of the year.
After the June solstice, the sun will move southward in the sky until the December solstice on December 21, 2026. As a result, days will get shorter and nights longer in the Northern Hemisphere. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, days will get longer and nights shorter.
Effect on season: The June solstice on June 21, 2026, will mark the beginning of astronomical summer (the summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical winter (the winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Effect on sunrise and sunset: On the June solstice, June 21, 2026, the sun will rise farthest north of east and set farthest north of west, no matter where you are on the globe.
After the June solstice, the sun will rise and set a bit farther south on the horizon each day until the December solstice on December 21, 2026.
Effect on the sun’s path: On the June solstice, June 21, 2026, the sun will follow its longest path across the sky and reach its highest elevation at noon in the Northern Hemisphere. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, it will follow the shortest path and reach its lowest elevation at noon.
Why does the June solstice occur?
Earth’s rotational axis is tilted about 23.5° from the perpendicular to its orbital plane around the sun. As a result, the extent to which Earth’s axis tilts toward or away from the sun varies throughout the year.
The June solstice occurs when the tilt of Earth’s axis toward the sun reaches its maximum, and the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer, the northernmost latitude it reaches each year.
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So in the first 4x photo of the Earth from space, the North Pole is at the BOTTOM?
The North Pole is at the top. Thanks for comment.
Sorry, that looks right.
The POV of the satellite causes a bit of confusion. From a fixed point in space the 3rd and 4th images should be mirrored horizontally.
Here, the satellite captures Earth from space along with its cloud cover. Since Earth’s cloud cover is constantly changing, the images will not be horizontally mirrored.