Summer solstice brings longest day and shortest night tomorrow

This phenomenon occurs annually, leading to the longest day and shortest night of the year. The sun will rise in the northeast and set in the northwest, indicating the official start of summer for the Northern Hemisphere and winter for the Southern Hemisphere.

From March, the sun has been gradually moving northward and will reach its peak northern position tomorrow. This movement causes the sun to rise and set at its most extreme northern points, resulting in prolonged daylight.

In Thailand, the sun will rise at approximately 5.51am and set around 6.47pm, giving a total of 12 hours and 56 minutes of daylight in Bangkok.

Director of the Academic Services and Astronomy Communication Center at NARIT, Supharerk Khaharanon clarified that the varying lengths of day and night are due to the Earth’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the sun. This tilt causes different parts of the Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, leading to the changing seasons.

The next significant astronomical event related to the sun’s position will be the autumnal equinox, which occurs on September 22 this year, where the sun will rise exactly in the east and set exactly in the west, resulting in equal lengths of day and night. This marks the transition into autumn for the Northern Hemisphere and spring for the Southern Hemisphere, reported KhaoSod.

These celestial events not only signify the changing seasons but also remind us of the larger cosmic rhythms that govern our planet.