As the calendar hits Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the Summer Solstice 2023, the astronomical commencement of summer, and a day that promises the longest stretch of daylight of the year.
Contrarily, for those in the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the advent of winter.
The term “solstice,” originating from the Latin words sol (sun) and stitium (still or stopped), signifies the sun’s apparent halt in its skyward trajectory.
After the summer solstice, the Sun’s arc will start its descent, gradually shortening the daylight hours until the winter solstice on December 21, 2023.
The Science of Sunlight: Timing and Duration of the Solstice
The Summer Solstice 2023 is expected to occur at 9:58 a.m. CT or 10:57 a.m. ET. During this pinnacle, cities like Chicago will be bathed in sunlight for an impressive 15 hours, 13 minutes, and 41 seconds, with the sun setting just shy of 8:30 p.m.
However, these durations vary based on your geographical location.
While the solstice ushers in the day with the most sunlight, it doesn’t equate to the earliest sunrise or latest sunset.