June 20 marks first day of summer 2020: What to know about the solstice
Summer is almost here!
The 2020 summer solstice will occur at 5:43 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 20, according to NASA. That day will bring the year's longest period of daylight for the Northern Hemisphere, clocking in at a whopping 14 hours, 53 minutes, and 41.5 seconds.
The solstice marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The date varies between June 20 and June 22 depending on the year.
It occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, positioned at its northernmost point in the sky during Earth's rotation, according to AccuWeather.
A common misconception about the changing of the planet's seasons involves the Earth's distance from the sun. Earth is actually further away from the sun during the June solstice. Rather, our planet experiences season because Earth tilts on its axis at around 23.4 degrees.
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