Archive for June 20th, 2012

6:09 PM CDT today marks the northern solstice, it falls on the day with the longest daylight period of the year and marks the beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere.  We traditionally refer to this point as the summer solstice but, in keeping with our efforts to become more global, northern solstice is the more proper term because it also falls on the day with the shortest daylight period of the year that marks beginning of winter for the southern hemisphere. 

We’ve been tracking the apparent path of the Sun since December.  On December 21 (the southern solstice) it was as far south of the celestial equator as it could be and subsequently started heading back towards the celestial equator which it crossed on March 20 (the March equinox).  At 6:09 PM CDT today it will be as far north of the celestial equator as it can be.  In the upcoming days it will start to head southward for its next rendezvous with the celestial equator in September (the September equinox).  Of course, that means our daylight periods will start getting shorter.