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SUN'S OUT

Summer solstice 2019 – Is today the longest day of the year and the start of summer?

THE longest day of the year for one half of the world is also the shortest for the other.

So when is the summer solstice for the Northern hemisphere and when is it for the Southern hemisphere? Here's all you need to know.

 Sunrise begins the 2018 Summer solstice at Stonehenge
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Sunrise begins the 2018 Summer solstice at StonehengeCredit: Solent News

When is the summer solstice 2019 in the Northern hemisphere?

The summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere always takes place sometime between June 20 and June 22.

This year it falls on Friday, June 21 (TODAY) when sunny skies are predicted for much of the UK.

Sunrise was at 4:42am in London and sunset is at 9:22pm — giving more than 16.5 hours of sunlight.

The midsummer date is set on the planet’s rotational axis.

It’s decided based on the sun’s tilt towards the sun, which hits its maximum at 23° 26′.

When is the summer solstice 2019 in the Southern hemisphere?

On the other hand, 21 June is the shortest day of the year in the Southern hemisphere.

The summer solstice in the south occurs between December 20 and December 23.

That date is when the southern hemisphere is closest to the sun.

Thousands gather at Stonehenge to mark the Summer solstice
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