The 2024 summer solstice is going to be a landmark. This is why and what you can anticipate.
The event this year will be the first in more than 200 years.
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Editor’s Note: The clip you see in the player above comes from a prior report.
It’s the year 2024’s summer solstice is near This year’s solstice is actually the first in more than 200 years.
What does that mean and why is it way ahead of the pack?
This historic event will be followed by a spectacular image from the skies.
Here’s what you can be prepared for:
When is the solstice of summer?
The solstice of summer occurs around 3.50 p.m. CST on June 20 in Chicago, according to timeanddate.com.
What is the solstice of summer?? And is this the day that marks the beginning of summer?
The summer solstice marks the day that the sun rises to its northernmost and highest points in the sky according to the Farmer’s Almanac, being the day that begins the astronomical summer.
It is also often referred to as the day that has the longest amount of sun also known as the day with the most sun for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere.
Although the solstice may not happen at the exact time every year, it usually falls any time between June 20-22.
“Our solstices are caused by the slight tilt in Earth’s axis in relation to the plane of its orbit,” the blog of the Adler Planetarium stated. “This tilt is about 23.5 degrees off-vertical. As a result, when Earth circles the Sun each year, a different half of the globe is leaning slightly towards or away from the Sun.”
As the solstice of summer approaches the length of daylight is increasing every day, while nights become shorter. Following the summer solstice, the length of daylight decreases gradually each day until winter solstice, which occurs on the 21st of December this year.
“The summer solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere when the northern half of the globe has its closest tilt towards the Sun of the year,” the Adler explained. “Conversely, it’s also when the southern hemisphere experiences the winter solstice, as the southern half of the globe is at its furthest tilt away from the Sun.”
What is the reason why this year’s solstice comes so far in the past?
As per Accuweather the solstice of this year will be the earliest one in 228 years, the last solstice that occurred this early was on 20 June 1796.
“The exact day and time of the solstice varies slightly from year to year,” the publication noted.
Weather Network called the 2024 shift “something exceptional,” noting that the solstice’s early date could also be related to the year being an equinox year.
“Our calendar still remains slightly out of sync with the solar year. As a result, each leap year, the vernal equinox occurs around 40-50 minutes earlier than the previous leap year vernal equinox,” the network said.
It is also worth noting it being spring’s equinox occurred the 19th of March making it just the second occasion in over 100 years it has fallen on the same day, and has since become the first spring equinox to occur in 128 years.
“Even taking into consideration that there was no daylight saving time back then, 2024’s summer solstice is still earlier,” Weather Network reported.
It is also possible that autumn and winter will be the same and the fall equinox becoming the first since 1797 as well as the solstice of winter the first since 1798.
As time goes on, each leap year following 2024 will also have solstices and equinoxes “even earlier,” Weather Network stated.
What is the reason it’s called a solstice?
According to Adler the term solstice “means that the arc of the Sun–or Sol–stops in the sky.”
The word is of Latin origin, which comes directly from solstitium – sol which translates to sun and stitium meaning “still or stopped,” the Almanac says.
Sunsets and sunrises during the summer solstice
When the solstice is considered to be the day that receives the most sunshine but it is not the day of the first sunrise or sunset.
Based on timeanddate.com, the latest sunsets of the year are scheduled to occur between mid- and late June when the sun goes down at around 8:30 p.m. The city will enjoy more than 15 hours of sunshine most of June however, that number will be reduced following the summer solstice on June 20.
Luckily, the area is expected to witness sunsets after 8 p.m. through August. 8 according to the official website.
The best place to watch the sunrise at the summer solstice
If you’re thinking of seeing the sunrise but don’t know where to go, here’s an excellent news item that you don’t need to travel too far.
Mixbook is a photobook business located in California it conducted a survey of 3,000 people to determine the 150 most popular spots across the U.S. to witness the sunrise on the 20th of June. One of the most popular spots in Chicago was among one of the 50 top spots.
Landing at No. 33 in the ranking is the city’s most well-known beaches known as the famous North Avenue Beach along DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park.
According to its ranking webpage, North Avenue Beach “offers a picturesque view of the sunrise over Lake Michigan” and “the juxtaposition of the natural beauty and the urban skyline is striking.”
If you’re wondering where are the most ideal locations to view sunrises across the nation The top 10 locations are as follows:
- Lake Tahoe, Nevada
- Arches National Park, Utah
- Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
- Stone Mountain Park, Georgia
- Key West, Florida
- Everglades National Park, Florida
- Adirondack Mountains, New York
- Sedona, Arizona
- Maroon Bells, Colorado
- Cannon Beach, Oregon
The Strawberry moon will follow the summer solstice
Following the summer solstice, there is the full moon in June, often referred to for being the “strawberry moon.” It will also mark a historical event.
The full moon will attain the peak of illumination in the 8th hour of p.m. CT, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
“Since the 2024 June full Moon happens on the solstice, the very day the Sun is absolutely at its highest of the year, this month’s full Moon on the 21st is the very lowest full Moon, indeed, the lowest we’ve seen in years,” the Almanac stated. “Just look at it! Because the Moon is so low, it will appear bigger than ever. This is called the ‘Moon Illusion.'”
