This Saturday marks the June summer solstice and the official start of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The summer solstice occurs this Saturday, June 20^th at 5:44pm eastern standard time. This date marks the official beginning of summer. This happens when the earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. This results in the longest day of the year and the shortest night of the calendar year. Longest day means the longest period of daylight. In the Southern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the beginning of winter.

The timing of the June solstice is not based on a specific calendar date or time. It all depends on when the sun reaches its northern point from the equator meaning it does not always occur on the same day each year. June’s solstice usually falls between June 20^th, 21^st, and 22^nd each year.