Celebrating Summer Solstice today
NEW DELHI: On Tuesday countries lying to the north of the equator, including India, witness ‘Summer Solstice, it will be the longest day of the year. It iss a phenomenon that occurs when the earth’s axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun.
Also on the on the Google home page, a floral doodle called the “First Day of Summer” by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami marks the summer solstice. Murakami was, in 2008, one of Time magazine’s 100 most powerful people.
A solstice is an astronomical phenomenon which happens twice a year, when the tilt of the earth’s axis is most inclined towards or away from the sun, causing the sun’s apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme.
The summer solstice typically occurs on June 21 in the northern hemisphere and December 22 in the southern hemisphere.
The solstice happens twice in a year, during summer and winter. On a solstice the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator.
During the summer solstice days are the longest and nights shortest and the opposite of this happens on the winter solstice.
For a dozen years, Google has been occasionally swapping its everyday logo for a “doodle,” a sketch celebrating holidays, inventions, artists and sporting events, and showcasing designs from contest-winning students.
While the Google doodle marks the summer solstice with a “First Day of the Summer” doodle, the summer solstice from an astronomical view marks the middle of the summer season and the summer solstice is also referred to as ‘midsummer.’
Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) President C.B. Devgun said, “The ‘summer solstice’ occurs exactly when the earth’s axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun at its maximum of 23degrees 26’.”
A ‘Khagol Mela’ has been planned by SPACE at Jantar Mantar in the capital. SPACE will also organise a Public Outreach and Solar Fest where astronomy enthusiasts can make observations through a pin-hole camera and ball projectors.
