Summer Solstice 2024 - the longest day of the year

Happy Summer Solstice - Why is the Sun 

One of the delights of summer in Australia is enjoying the longer days as the Sun sets later and later. 

The reason why the days vary in length throughout the year is because our Earth orbits the Sun at an approx. 23 degree angle. This causes the Sun to spend more time in the southern part of the sky during our warmer seasons and less time during the colder months. 

On the Summer Solstice, the Sun reaches the furthest south in the sky and begins its journey into the northern part of the sky. It also marks the longest day of the year. 

This year the Summer Solstice is the 21st of December 2024. (It can change a day from this date from year to year.) From then on, the days begin to get shorter, until we reach the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. The Autumn Equinox in March is when all parts of the Earth experience the same amount of day and night time.

How long your day will be in major capital. Image via weatherzone. 

While the days begin to shorten in length from this coming weekend, the time the Sun sets gets a little later until early January. Don't worry - those long and lazy summer evenings will continue for a while yet. 

For this coming summer, the Sun will set just after 8.00pm during January while starting to rise a bit later. 

For example, in Sydney the sun will set around 8.09pm local time while the time it rises changes from 5.47am as 5.45am the days begin to get shorter post Solstice. 

You can read more about the rise and set times at this website here. (Please note that times given do not include daylight savings. You'll need to add an hour if your location uses it.)

Path of the Sun in the sky. 

As we orbit the Sun during year, where the Sun appears in the sky changes each day.  

Image via César Cantú / AstroColors

If you were to take a photo of the Sun at the same clock time every day over a course of the year from the same location it would produce the same same every year. The roughly figure-8 pattern the Sun traces out is called an Analemma.

This Analemma is a result of our orbit around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth.  For this Summer Solstice, the Sun's image would be as far south as it gets for the year.

Cheers,

Earl White

BINTEL