Summer solstice in Mexico: the longest day of the year arrives

In Mexico, June 20 it will be the longest day of the year and also the shortest night. And it is that on this date it will take place the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, an astronomical phenomenon that will end spring and mark the start of the new season.

According to the Institute of Astronomy at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), the astronomical event will occur specifically at 9:32 p.m. at night -time from the center of the country-.

By the tilt of the Earth’s axis that day the north pole of our planet will be pointed more directly towards the Sun than at any other time in 2021, leading to the summer solstice in the northern region. But what exactly is this event and why does it affect the length of days and nights?

summer solstice

The axis of the Earth is an imaginary pole that crosses our planet from top to bottom. Our world turns on this imaginary line, accomplishing a revolution in 24 hours; And that’s how the days and nights go

According to NASA, this Earth axis is tilted 23.5 ° with respect to the Sun. This position makes that the amounts of sunlight our planet receives are different In each region, as the Earth moves in its orbit.

When the North Pole points towards the Sun, the South Pole automatically leans in the opposite direction. This makes summer begin in our hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.

“During the summer, the North Pole leans towards the Sun and the South Pole moves away from the Sun. The northern summer solstice is a time when Earth’s north pole points more directly toward the Sun than at any other time of year“, explains NASA.

As on June 20 the North Pole will reach its maximum inclination towards the Royal Star, the day will be the longest of the year, and the night, the shortest. However, That doesn’t mean it will be the hottest day in 2021. Although the northern hemisphere absorbs a large amount of sunlight during the summer solstice, the oceans take time to warm up, so the temperature difference begins to be appreciated weeks later, between July and August.

“The oceans are slow to warm up and stay cool, resulting in a moderating influence on temperature variations, ”explains the US space agency on its website.

It also doesn’t mean that our world is any closer to the Sun. In fact, the Earth reaches the point in its orbit closest to the star in January.

“The Earth is closest to the Sun between January 3 and 5. The difference is a small percentage of distance, too small to be seen, ”NASA said.

In this way, the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere implies that this area is more inclined towards the star. As a result, it receives more sun and the temperatures rise over the weeks. This means that during the boreal summer, the Arctic Circle is always illuminated, 24 hours a day, and in countries like Finland and Norway, it is early in the morning and it is night very late, registering a few hours of d ‘darkness.

At the same time, the winter solstice will occur in the southern hemisphere.

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