1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Bolga Baum here. On June, the Northern 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: Hemisphere experienced its longest day of the year, the day 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: when the North Pole is leaning most towards the sun. 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: This year, that took place at two pm Eastern Time. 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: This annual event is called the summer solstice. For those 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: of us in the Northern Hemisphere. It's the day of 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: the year that the Arctic Circle receives a full twenty 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: four hours of sunlight. The Arctic Circle is a moving 10 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: area whose parameters are dictated by the solstices. Scientists define 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: this expanse to quote the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 12 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: as the latitude above which the sun does not set 13 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: on the summer solstice and does not rise on the 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: winter solstice. So during the June solstice, the entire circle 15 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: goes through twenty four straight hours of sunlight. Can firstly, 16 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 1: it has to endure a full day of darkness when 17 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: the December solstice comes around. The tourists in the far 18 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: North flock to watch the sun blazing at midnight on 19 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 1: every June solstice. This is also the day in which 20 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: the sun reaches its highest point above the horizon. At noon, 21 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: the sun was directly over the Tropic of Cancer. That's 22 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: a latitudinal line located about twenty three point five degrees 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: north of the equator. A similar phenomenon takes place on 24 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: the December solstice, when the sun hits the Tropic of Capricorn, 25 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: a southern line located twenty three point five degrees below 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: the equator. These numbers line up so cleanly because of 27 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: the tilt of the Earth on its axis, which is 28 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: twenty three point five degrees. But Earth's axial tilt shifts 29 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: incrementally over time. But right now, the Arctic Circle is 30 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: located a little higher than sixty six degrees above the equator, 31 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: but it's creeping northward at a rate of about forty 32 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: five to forty nine feet that's fourteen to fifteen meters 33 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: per air. So travelers in the distant future will need 34 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: to adjust their plans accordingly if they hope to catch 35 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: that midnight sun. For the same reason, the name Tropic 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: of Cancer is now an anachronism. This term references the 37 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: fact that two thousand years ago, the Sun used to 38 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: cross in front of the constellation Cancer on the day 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: of the June solstice, it now shines closer to Taurus instead. However, 40 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: although no other date on the calendar witnesses more sunlight 41 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: than the summer solstice, this is not the hottest day 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: of the year for most of us in the northern Hemisphere. 43 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: It's true that the days up here get progressively shorter 44 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: after the solstice. However, for several weeks in June, July, 45 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 1: and August, the hemisphere will still receive more heat during 46 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: the day than it loses at night. That's why temperatures 47 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: in the northern half of the globe can to climb 48 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: in mid to late summer despite their being slightly less 49 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: daylight to go around, and this is because it takes 50 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: a few months your winters over the land to begin 51 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: storing heat. Most states in the continental US will experience 52 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: their hottest day of any given year at some point 53 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: between early July and mid August. In parts of the 54 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: West Coast, the hottest days are typically in September. Not 55 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: all planets have similar spreads of seasons and solstices, though, 56 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: for example, Urness has a mind blowing degree axial tilt. 57 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: Because of this and the fact that it takes the 58 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: planet about eighty four earth years to make one rotation 59 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: around the sun. The seasons are staggeringly long there. The 60 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: last summer solstice in Urnaes northern hemisphere took place in 61 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: and the north next winter solstice won't come until Compare 62 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: that with Earth, which sees the solstice every six months. 63 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: Today's episode is based on the article five things you 64 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: didn't know about the Summer Solstice on House to works 65 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: dot com, written by Mark Mancini. Brain Stuff is production 66 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: by Heart Radio and partnership with house at works dot 67 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts 68 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: from my heart Radio. Visit their heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 69 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.