The summer solstice (in the northern hemisphere) occurs on June 21 and is denoted as being the longest day and shortest night of the year. The summer solstice also marks the first day of the summer season. In the southern hemisphere, summer solstice occurs in December while winter solstice occurs in June. The solstices occur as a result of the fact that the Earth rotates upon an axis which is tilted while the earth revolves around the sun. On the summer solstice, the sun will appear at it's most directly overhead position in the sky during the year.
The summer soltice and winter solstice have long been cause for celebration and or rituals in many cultures around the world and denote an important seasonal marker of time. The author of this solstice meter is an avid snowboarder who lives in Ophir, Colorado and snowboards as much as possible in and around
Telluride, Colorado -- who has developed this page for both fun and as a means of quickly assessing where we're at in terms of the sun's height in the sky. Since both snowboarding and skiing are significantly reliant upon good visibility, "flat light" is less of a factor as we move in time toward the summer solstice. Also, snow - in the springtime - tends to have a greater propensity to become slushier at lower temperatures when we're closer to the summer solstice.
The vernal equinox occurs on March 12 - at a midway point - where day and night are of equal length.
The summer solstice meter above operates in real time and indicates the current day's relative position between the winter and summer solstice.
