Happy Summer Solstice! Today is the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, and the shortest for the Southern Hemisphere. Solstice comes from the Latin words âsolâ - sun, and âsistereâ - to stand still, meaning the day when the sun stands still. During the northern summer solstice, the sun stops its northward motion and begins heading south. Today, due to the fact that the Earthâs axial tilt is most inclined towards the Sun, the North Pole is tipped closer to the sun than any other day in 2018. Actually throughout the entire summer the North Pole stays in full sunlight all day long and this is the reason why the Arctic is called the land of the Midnight Sun. After the Summer Solstice, the sun starts to sink towards the horizon. While itâs the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere itâs the beginning of winter. Antarctica, at the bottom of the Earth, is currently isolated by winter storms and perpetual darkness. The summer solstice is recognized and often celebrated in many cultures around the world, in both the past and present. Although there are differences between cultures, there are also some striking similarities. Bonfires are set on hilltops. People dance around the fires. In many places, after the fire has died away and only the hot coals are remaining, children will be lifted across the coals to be blessed and cleansed by the smoke. And many different places have monuments designed so that during the solstice, they will line up with the sun. Image: Midnight Sun in summer, at The North Cape, 2100 km away from the North Pole. Image Credit & Copyright: TWAN & Juan Carlos Casado https://twanight.org/profile/juan-carlos-casado/ #starsandconstellations #astronomy#astrophotography #sun #summersolstice #polar #northcape #northpole https://www.instagram.com/p/CfExjTTDMcx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
