The summer solstice the time when the sun reaches the highest position above the horizon and the day is longest.

This occurs twice a year, once in the northern hemisphere and once in the southern hemisphere. The summer solstice marks the astronomical beginning of summer and takes place in the northern hemisphere on June 20th or 21st.

In the southern hemisphere, it is the other way around: The summer solstice there is on December 21st or 22nd and marks the beginning of summer for these regions.

The summer solstice is related to the tilt of the Earth’s axis and the movement of the Earth around the Sun. In the northerm hemisphere on this day, the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, which is about 23.5 degrees north. Whereas in the southern hemisphere on summer solstice the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn which is about 23.5 degrees south.

The summer solstice has a special meaning in many cultures and is often celebrated with festivals and rituals.

The LunaSolCal app calculates the date and time of the summer solstice depending on the selected location and year: