When is the summer solstice?
Annually, the Summer season officially begins on June 21st (except in a Leap Year). On the solstice, the sun’s apparent position on the celestial sphere reaches its greatest distance above or below the celestial equator, about 23 1/2° of arc. In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year and the shortest night of the year is when the Sun is farthest north, marking the beginning of summer. At the time of summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer.
