The first day of summer in 2024 was Thursday, June 20, for the Northern Hemisphere. At 4:51 pm ET, the sun was at its highest point in the sky, marking the summer solstice. During this event, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year, resulting in the greatest amount of daylight and the shortest night.

After the summer solstice, a subtle but noticeable change begins in the Northern Hemisphere. The days start getting shorter, a sign that summer is gradually transitioning to autumn. This change occurs because the Earth’s axial tilt causes the sun’s position in the sky to gradually shift southward. As a result, daylight hours decrease until we reach the autumnal equinox, when day and night are equal in length, marking the official start of autumn.

So, as the sun reached its zenith on June 20, 2024, the Northern Hemisphere experienced the longest day of the year, bathed in abundant sunlight. However, after the summer solstice, daylight hours gradually wane as we approach the autumnal equinox.

Image: AI-Generated
Prompt/edited: Tom Myrick
Written by: Tom Myrick

Writer/Digital creator/Prompt designer: Tom Myrick

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