This year too we are approaching the appointment with summer solstice, which marks the transition from spring to the warmer season. This is an event that has always been awaited and celebrated, because that day will be characterized by the maximum duration of light of the entire year.
What is the solstice of the year and when will it fall
This year the date to mark on the calendar to “greet” the solstice is that of June 20, 2024. To be precise, his arrival is scheduled for 10.51pm, Italian time. Astronomically speaking, it will be on that date and at that time that summer will begin. In our hemisphere this femomenon also corresponds to the longest day of the year, determined by a greater number of hours of light. This is the moment in which the Sun reaches its maximum positive declination value.
We are talking about an event that has always been celebrated by man, in different cultures, who knew very well the path of our star in the sky, and its effects on Earth. More specifically, the solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun by 23 and a half degrees in the plane of the orbit. This condition does not happen in the same way and at the same time every year, usually there is a delay of about 6 hours compared to the previous year, which is why the date is never the same. The solstice can in fact occur between June 20th and 22nd. Last year, for example, theastronomical start of summer It occurred on June 21st at 2.58pm. Applying the same reasoning, we are able to establish when the event will occur next year, i.e. June 21st at 02.42.
Once the solstice has passed, with the maximum hours of lightthe latter will gradually begin to decrease, first imperceptibly, then more and more evidently, until we take us back to autumn and, finally, to winter.
The meaning of the solstice
During the summer solstice, the sun occupies the highest point in the sky, i.e Zenith. Being associated with the beginning of summer, it is an event celebrated by many cultures.
It is seen as a sign of birth and nourishment, because it is during the summer that the flower turns into fruit and can be harvested.
Considered as a symbol of change and transition, it still stands today celebrated with rituals and cults, often associated with fire.
