Overview
- The summer solstice arrives Friday, June 20, at 10:42 p.m. EDT, officially beginning astronomical summer north of the equator and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
- English Heritage will stream the solstice sunset from Stonehenge on June 20 via Facebook and YouTube for virtual audiences.
- Daylight extremes on the solstice range from roughly 15 hours at mid-northern latitudes to a full 24 hours of daylight above the Arctic Circle.
- Festivities include Midsummer bonfires and dancing in Sweden, folk rituals during Ivan Kupala Night in Eastern Europe and mass yoga sessions across India on June 21.
- Although Earth receives its maximum sunlight, most regions record peak temperatures later in July or August, even as parts of the UK face heatwave warnings over the weekend.