The longest day of the year—the June solstice—is finally here.
The sun began its journey upwards at 4:50 a.m., signalling the start of 16 and a half hours of daylight. It will reach its peak just after 1 o’clock before finally setting at 9:17 p.m. this evening.
Environment Canada Meteorologist, Crawford Luke, said that our latitude is the reason for the extreme variance in daylight hours throughout the year.
“During the Winter Solstice, it goes down to eight hours of daylight, basically. So, you've more than doubled it by the time you get to the summer solstice, which is a reflection of how far north we are,” said Luke.
“It's kind of funny, actually. Sunrise is at 9 a.m. flat, and sunset is at 5 p.m., it's a pretty late sunrise.”
From tomorrow onward,s the days will get progressively shorter in roughly six-second increments until the aforementioned Winter Solstice, which will take place on December 21, 2025.
Solstice Fun Facts:
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While today is the longest day of the year, the earliest sunrise of the year already happened earlier this week on June 16.
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In the lead up to the June solstice, the location of sunrise and sunset gradually moves further northward, and on the day after, the Sun’s path across the sky begins to move south. This is how the phenomenon got its name, with the term ‘solstice’ coming from the Latin words sol and sistere, meaning ‘Sun’ and ‘to stand still’.
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Due to the Earth’s tilt of 23.4°, the June solstice is the longest day for locations north of the equator, and the shortest day for those to the south of the equator. This effect becomes more pronounced for locations further away from the equator.
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Near the solstice, places within the Arctic Circle experience what is called polar day, which is when the sun doesn't set at night. Conversely, locations within the Antarctic Circle will experience polar day, where the sun doesn't rise at all.
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The date of the solstice can vary from year to year, and the June solstice can happen on June 20, 21, or even 22, although the last June 22 summer solstice was in 1975 and the next won't occur until 2203.