summer solstice is a astronomy phenomenon that marks the beginning of summer.
It is the moment when a certain hemisphere of the Earth is tilted about 23.5° towards the Sun, causing the planet to receive more solar rays.
The term “solstice” has its origin in Latin solstitius which means "point where the sun's trajectory does not appear to move".
On the summer solstice occurs the longest day of the year and, consequently, the shortest night, in terms of illumination from the sun's rays.
The solstice happens thanks to the phenomena of rotation and translation of planet Earth, because thanks to them the sunlight is distributed unevenly between the two hemispheres.
Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere
When the Southern Hemisphere is passing through the summer solstice – an event that marks the beginning of this season – the people who living in the Earth's Northern Hemisphere are passing through the winter solstice, which is considered the date with the longest night of the year.
The summer solstice can be on December 21st or 22nd, days when solar radiation falls vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn.
It is worth remembering that Brazil is located in the Southern Hemisphere, while Europe and the United States, for example, are part of the Northern Hemisphere.
midsummer in 2020
In the Southern Hemisphere, the summer solstice in 2020 takes place on the day December 21 exactly at 10:02 (Brasilia time).
Time when the summer solstice happens.
Mystic meaning of the summer solstice
Many people believe that the solstice moment is a mystical moment. Ancient peoples believed that the high incidence of sunlight was capable of promoting energetic changes in people, due to the amount and power of heat and light coming from the sun.
The Inca and Maya peoples, for example, had special rituals for the solstice days. It was a moment of connection with the divine and with the protection coming from nature.
Winter Solstice
While the summer solstice marks the beginning of this season, the winter solstice is known as mark the beginning of winter.
The winter solstice means that sunlight does not fall as powerfully on the hemisphere in question. In the Southern Hemisphere, the phenomenon usually happens on June 21st.
Learn more about the meaning of Winter Solstice.
Equinox
The equinox, like the solstice, is also an astronomical event. In this case, it marks the beginning of autumn and spring.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the Autumn Equinox occurs on March 20th or 21st and the Spring Equinox occurs on September 22nd or 23rd.
Read more about Equinox, Autumn Equinox and spring equinox. Find out more about the meaning of Solstice.