

Many people consider the summer solstice to be the first day of summer, although for others, paradoxically, it is known as midsummer. Is the summer solstice the same as midsummer? You can also light candles, reflect on the year that has passed and start meditating on your next steps. This is the perfect time of the year to reset with new years eve around the corner. It is used in ceremonies across the world to cleanse yourself and the year that's been. Even though bringing more heat into your life may not sound particularly inviting, fire is intrinsically linked to the summer solstice. This is a time to celebrate the power of light before moving into darkness. Midsummer is also known to flock people around Stonehenge which is seen by druids as a place of worship. It has been celebrated since ancient times and had long been said to mark the ancient middle of summer, the basis of A24's 2019 horror film Midsommer although we don't recommend barking up that maypole.
2022 SUMMER EQUINOX HOW TO
How to make the most of the 2022 summer solsticeĪs is the case with all lunar and solar events, the summer solstice provides an opportunity to realign, re-centre and let go. In Northern Australia, the hottest day is typically before the start of the wet season. It's different every year, but in southern Australia, the hottest day and night usually occur in January, several weeks after the December solstice. The hottest day of the year typically occurs in October or November across the tropical north of the continent, and generally shifts into December and then January moving south. Does this make it the warmest day in the year?Īlthough the winter solstice doesn't make for the coldest day of the year, it's a little different in the summer months. And although we'll experience the longest day of the year, this doesn't mean there are any fewer hours or minutes in the day, it simply refers to daylight. If you live in Sydney however, the sun will rise at 5:42 am and set at 8:06 pm making the length of the day fourteen hours and 24 minutes. In Hobart, the summer solstice sunrise will occur at 5:29 am and the sun will go down at 8:50pm making the day's duration fifteen hours and 21 minutes. In 2022, the official first day of summer in Australia (southern hemisphere) will occur on Thursday, 22 December, at sharp 08:48am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).ĭepending on how far south you live will determine how much light you receive. The summer solstice usually occurs on 22 December, but can happen anytime between December 21-23. The summer solstice will feel like the longest day of the year as it marks the period we have the most amount of daylight, making it not only the longest but also the brightest day of the year. In Australia, this takes place when the sun's track across the sky reaches its highest point.

After the winter solstice, the Earth's axis begins to tilt back towards the Sun, and the days start to get longer.Put simply, a solstice speaks to the position of the earth in relation to the sun – so the tilt of the earth as it orbits the sun – which is how we measure our seasons. This means that the Sun appears to be at its lowest point in the sky. It is the day when the Earth's axis is tilted the most away from the Sun. The winter solstice is also a time of astronomical significance and marks the beginning of Astronomical Winter. This makes it both a time of celebration and reflection: a time to celebrate the return of the Sun and the promise of longer days ahead but also a time to reflect on the past year and to set goals for the year ahead. The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year after which the days begin to get longer and the nights get shorter. It is also only a few weeks from this time that the clocks go back marking the beginning of summer time and making the evenings draw in. As with the Spring Equinox this is a point of seasonal equilibrium with days and nights being almost exactly 12 hours long each. The Autumn or Fall Equinox signals the end of Summer on the astronomical calendar. This is the first day of Astronomical Summer and occurs as the sun reaches its most northerly or southerly path in the sky. The Summer Solstice is also known as the longest day, which is perhaps the most notable feature. It is around this time of year that the clocks go forward making the evenings stay light and marking the beginning of summer time. In fact the word equinox is taken from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night) or "equal night". It is also the point in the calendar where the day length is more or less equal to the length of the night. The Spring or Vernal Equinox marks the astronomical first day of spring.
