Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and takes place when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, summer solstice begins on June 21, 2011 at 1:16 P.M. EDT.
So what does solstice mean? Well, besides that summer has begun.....It also means that summer vacation, barbecues, weekends by the pool, beach and lake are finally here!
Here are some fun facts about the summer solstice.
Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still."
As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December.
-The sun cannot appear directly overhead at any point in the contiguous 48 United States.
-If you live somewhere north of the Arctic Circle, you'll be seeing 24 hours of daylight since the sun remains above the horizon all day long. This includes northern Alaska, most of Greenland, northern parts of Canada, northern Norway, Finland and Sweden. The phenomenon is called the "midnight sun."
-Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.
-They celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.
So how will you be celebrating the longest day of the year?
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