06/18/2026
Interesting facts about the Summer solstice from the Wisconsin Becoming an Outdoors-Woman https://www.uwsp.edu/becoming-an-outdoors-woman/about-bow/
This year the summer solstice occurs on June 21. We generally think of it as the whole day, but it actually happens at a single moment when the northern hemisphere is tilted at its maximum towards the Sun. That moment will be this Sunday at 3:24 AM CDT.
The solstice marks the official beginning of astronomical summer. In Wisconsin, we will have 15 hours, 22 minutes of functional daylight!
The word solstice comes from the Latin sol ('sun') and sistere ('to stand still'). For a few days surrounding the solstice, the Sun's noontime position changes so little that it appears to stand still. This standstill is most visible at high latitudes. In places like Iceland and Alaska, the longest "day" can stretch to more than 20 hours.
Despite being the longest day of the year, the summer solstice does not have the latest sunset or the earliest sunrise. The earliest sunrises happen before the summer solstice and the latest sunsets happen after.
While the solstice is the beginning of astronomical summer, meteorologically speaking it started a few weeks ago. Meteorologists define summer in the northern hemisphere as beginning on June 1st and ending on August 31st. This is because all four seasons are divided into three-month periods in order to make it easier to compare seasonal statistics.
The summer solstice has been celebrated for centuries by people across cultures.Traditions include celebrating nature, community, and the season. You can welcome the light of summer by joining friends for a bonfire, stepping out for sunrise yoga, spending time near or on the water, walking barefoot in the morning dew, or simply sitting in nature for a moment.
Happy Summer Solstice!
