We all do experience the intense extremes of the climate—it could be too hot in noontime until the afternoon but it could be too cold in the evening until late night. However, based on the current weather and climate system that our country has, it feels like it’s always humid.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that on Friday, the 21st of June, 2019, people in the country will be experiencing the longest daytime during the summer solstice—this year.
Read: 2019 Cyclone Names as per PAGASA
What is Summer Solstice?
In definition, a solstice occurs when the Sun’s highest position is reached in the sky. What this does is that it appears that the day is longer than the usual. The Summer Solstice is known to be the day in the year where the day is longer and the night is shorter.
As per PAGASA’s notice, the summer solstice will fall on Friday at exactly 11:54 P.M. This was, according to them, based on their astronomical diary.
This is the time when the sun attains its greatest declination of +23.5 degrees and passes directly overhead at noon for all observers at latitude 23.5 degrees north, which is known as the tropic of cancer.”
I know, we were all flabbergasted when we heard and read about PAGASA’s notice. What’s up with all those latitude and degrees that we don’t understand—all we know is that on that day, the day will be longer than the night which connotates that on that day, the sun might set longer than the usual.
Read: 51.7 Degrees Celsius Heat Index in Dagupan City
If there’s a summer solstice, then there’s also, of course, a winter solstice. The winter solstice occurs every December and as opposed to summer solstice, the winter solstice is the exact opposite—it is when the night is longer than the day.
This event marks the start of the apparent southward movement of the sun in the ecliptic.”
If you’re not a fan of weather, climate, and astrology, then you might not care too much about this but this is a once-in-a-year sort of thing and is one of nature’s ways in letting us know that it has its miracles.
Is it just going to happen in the Philippines?
You might be dumbfounded but no; it happens to every country across the globe. In fact, they might have their own news about it. So, even if people from all over the planet are under different time zones, they will experience the same longest day on the 21st of June 2019.
Is it always June 21, 2019?
A follow-up question people might be thinking of is if the longest day always falls at this date—the answer is no; this year, it’s on the 21st but next year, depending on what the astronomical calendar and what the situation is, it could be different.
ThoughtCo. said that every year, it always falls on the 21st of June or, a few days around it. Although this statement was made, we still cannot be so sure that it will fall on this very date every year. However, since we live in different cities and time zones, it might have differences in terms of when the solstice will fall.
For instance, in Tokyo, Sunrise will start at 4:25 A.M. and sunset will be around 7:01 P.M. in New York City, sunrise will start at 5:24 A.M. and sunset will be at 8:31 P.M. So, we can therefore conclude that the differences would just be on the time when the sunset, sunrise, and daytime would be.
Last year the longest day fell on the same date—21st of June 2018. However, next year, we still cannot be too sure.
Read: Longer Days Than Nights After the Equinox
Have you ever heard of an occurrence when there is a long day? Well, the summer solstice, as a matter of fact, is known to be the longest day in a year!
Anticipate it and see how nature projects its beauty and power. If you have friends from other countries, continents, and time zones, ask them to show you how beautiful this could get because Western cities like in New York and Anchorage will be observing a sunset much later than usual.
