The summer solstice on Thursday signals the end of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of a brand-new season, one that promises more warmth and more sunlight. To mark the transition into summer 2024, the astronomical event serves as a kind of grand opening: everywhere above the equator, it will be the longest day of the year.
At the North Pole, six months of daylight commence, while at the South Pole, it means six months of darkness instead.Conditions reverse six months later, when Earth arrives at a point in its orbit where the axis tips it back so that the South Pole is nearest the sun. On that day, typically Dec. 21 or 22, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere brings the shortest stretch of daylight, while the Southern Hemisphere begins its summer.