Everything You Should Need to Know about Summer Solstice 2025

The summer solstice takes place late on Friday, June 20, in the United States, although it will already be Saturday, June 21, in Europe. The Northern Hemisphere’s longest day and shortest night are occurring right now. The official start of summer is also today.

The country is already experiencing a warming trend before summer has even officially arrived.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Friday, June 20, the summer solstice, will mark the longest day and shortest night of 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere.

As the northern hemisphere moves out of the colder, darker months, the astronomical event officially ushers in summer and the start of a longer daylight period.

The Boston Public Library states that Litha, sometimes called Midsummer, is a Pagan holiday that begins on the summer solstice. With dancing and bonfires atop hilltops, the holiday celebrates the start of summer.

Here is all the information folks need to know about the big event as the summer solstice approaches.

For some, it’s a daybreak celebration. For others, it marks the beginning of summer and the arrival of warmer weather.

The longest day of the year, or the one with the most daylight hours, is the summer solstice.

The Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice this year is on Saturday, June 21. It’s also going to be a warm one, with parts of the UK already feeling the year’s first heatwave.

According to NASA, one of Earth’s poles reaches its greatest tilt toward the sun twice a year, marking the solstice.

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the term “solstice” is derived from the Latin solstitium, which means “sun stands still,” and describes the instant when the sun’s apparent route pauses before changing course.

Cultures all around the world have long observed the summer solstice with unique traditions, such as dancing around maypoles in Sweden, lighting bonfires in Norway, and seeing the dawn line up with Stonehenge in England.

This is all the information you require to know about the summer solstice in 2025.

When is the summer solstice in 2025?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac and NASA both predict that the 2025 summer solstice will occur on Friday, June 20, at 10:42 p.m. ET.

In the northern hemisphere, when the tilt of the Earth brings it closest to the Sun, this is the longest day of the year.

“The situation is reversed for the southern hemisphere, where it’s the shortest day of the year,” says NASA.

What is the summer solstice?

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer officially begins on the summer solstice. Meanwhile, the winter solstice will arrive in the Southern Hemisphere.

According to NASA, the summer solstice happens when the sun is shining on the northern hemisphere the most directly in Earth’s orbit.

“Astronomers consider this the beginning of Summer in the northern hemisphere,” says NASA.

In the southern hemisphere, the event signifies the winter solstice, when sunlight is at its lowest angle, whereas in the north it signifies the beginning of summer.

“The Northern Hemisphere’s tilt toward the Sun is greatest on this day,” according to NASA. “This means the Sun travels its longest, highest arc across the sky all year for those north of the equator.”

The tilt pulls the northernmost point of the Earth closer to the sun during the summer solstice, increasing the amount of sunlight.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac states that the solstice itself barely lasts a few minutes.

When is the longest day of the year in 2025?

In 2025, Friday, June 20, will be the longest day of the year for people in the northern hemisphere.

There are the most daylight hours of the year on this day because the sun is at its highest point in the sky.

This occurs when “the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer,” which is situated at 23.5 degrees north latitude, according to NASA.

Is the summer solstice the first day of summer?

According to NASA, scientists do indeed consider the summer solstice to be the official start of summer in the northern hemisphere.

The astronomical seasons begin on solstices and equinoxes, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. When the sun crosses the equator or reaches its most extreme position, these events take place.

According to the organization, meteorological seasons “are more closely tied to our monthly civil calendar than the astronomical seasons are,” and they divide the year into three-month groups based on temperature cycles.

Does the same day always mark the summer solstice?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac states that the summer solstice does not always fall on the same day. Depending on the year, it may fall on June 20, 21, or 22.

This is because the solstice’s timing isn’t dependent on a certain date on the calendar. Rather, it is based on the precise time that the sun leaves the celestial equator and arrives at its northernmost point in Earth’s orbit.

What takes place on the summer solstice?

According to the National Weather Service, the sun reaches its zenith in the sky at noon on the day of the summer solstice, and its position barely shifts for a few days before and after.

As a result, the year’s longest day and shortest night occur.

The term “longest day” describes the day with the most sunlight, not the number of hours in the day.

When does the summer solstice often fall?

According to the NWS, the summer solstice can occur on any day between June 20 and June 22, depending on the year.

The solstice happened on Thursday, June 20, 2024.