MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and other countries in the northern hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year on June 21, or the summer solstice, the weather bureau said yesterday.
During the summer solstice, the northern half of the Earth is tilted towards the sun, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
“Philippine nights are at their shortest and daytime is at their longest around the summer solstice, which falls on June 21 at 7:28 p.m.,” Pagasa said in its monthly astronomical diary.
The northern hemisphere is receiving more direct rays of the sun than the opposite hemisphere where it is winter, the agency added.
Pagasa said during the summer solstice, 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.
This event marks the start of the apparent southward movement of the sun in the ecliptic, the agency added.
The term solstice is derived from the Latin words “sol” which means sun and “sistere,” meaning to stand still.