The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. It occurs every year and marks the beginning of the summer season, for areas north of the equator.
The Summer Solstice which will happen on Wednesday, June 21, is a result of the sun being directly over the Tropic of Cancer, or 23.5 degrees north latitude.
The time of the Summer Solstice 2023 is exactly 10:57 am Eastern Wednesday, so you can watch it live if you are a great fan of sunlight.
The summer solstice, just like the winter solstice, the seasons, and the varying length of daylight and night hours throughout the year is due to the earth spinning on a tilted axis.
As a result of the tilt and spin, the North Pole is pointed toward the sun and gets more light for half the year, and for the other half of the year, the South Pole gets more light.
However, what then causes more daylight hours according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is due to the earth’s atmosphere bending sunlight slightly, thereby stretching it over a slightly greater area of land. This then results in the land covered by sunlight having a greater area than the land covered by darkness.
How Long Will The Day Last On Wednesday 21st
According to climatologist Brian Brettschneider, the number of daytime hours you get during the summer solstice depends on where you live. The farther north you are, the more sunlight you’ll see.
Those living around the northernmost latitudes will see an entire 24 hours of sunlight, while most of the US will see between 14 and 16 hours.
Sunscreen: Should I Protect Myself During The Summer Solstice
As always said, wearing sunscreen during the intense heat of the summer is always advised. However, research from Vox’s Julia Belluz says that using sunscreen does not actually help prevent the more aggressive form of skin cancer.
The US Preventive Services Task Forcesummed up the evidenceon the health effects of sunscreen use … [and] found that sunscreen reduced the incidence of squamous cell cancer, but that it had no effect on basal cell cancer. What’s more, “There are no direct data about the effect of sunscreen on melanoma incidence.”
Still, research is always evolving and newer studies are emerging that show sunscreen can curb melanoma risk, such as thislong-term trialfrom Australia.
