Victoria鈥檚 longest day is arriving early this year, bringing with it a rare celestial twist that reminds us we鈥檙e spinning through space on a tilted axis.
The summer solstice typically falls on June 21, but for the second consecutive year, it lands a day earlier.
On June 20, at 7:42 p.m. the sun will reach its highest point in the northern sky and appear to 鈥渟tand still鈥� before beginning its slow shift southward.
Ben Dorman, chair and acting treasurer of the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, explains the science behind this ancient celestial event that has captivated people for millennia.
鈥淭he solstice is the point when the sun reaches its most northerly point in the Northern Hemisphere,鈥� Dorman said. 鈥淚t comes from the Latin meaning 鈥榮un standing,鈥� because until the solstice, the sun appears to move further north each day at sunset. On the solstice, it stops moving north and begins heading south again.鈥�
This yearly event marks the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours, though it鈥檚 not necessarily the hottest day 鈥� that usually comes later in summer.
The key reason for the solstice, Dorman says, is Earth鈥檚 axial tilt, which is 23.4 degrees.
鈥淎s the Earth orbits the sun, its axis points in a slightly different direction, and the solstices are when the North Pole is tilted directly toward or away from the sun,鈥� he explained.
The precise date of the solstice shifts slightly from year to year due to the way our calendar counts days.
The solar year 鈥� the time it takes Earth to complete one orbit around the sun 鈥� is actually about 365.242198 days, not a neat 365. That鈥檚 why leap years add a day every four years to keep the calendar roughly aligned.
鈥淏ut the solstice doesn鈥檛 care about how we keep the calendar,鈥� Dorman said. 鈥淚t happens at the same point in Earth鈥檚 orbit around the sun. Because of the leap year cycle, the solstice can drift by a day or so, but it resets every four years when we add a leap day.鈥�
For Victoria, situated at about 48.42 degrees north latitude, the solstice means some of the longest daylight hours in the country.
On June 20, the sun will rise at approximately 5:10 a.m. and set just after 9:20 p.m., leaving 16 hours and 10 minutes of daylight.
However, for astronomers wanting to catch truly dark skies, the window is brief.
鈥淭he sun is far enough below the horizon for true darkness for only about 40 minutes between 12:55 and 1:35 a.m.,鈥� Dorman said.
A common misconception Dorman points out is the idea that Earth is closer to the sun during summer, which isn鈥檛 true for Victoria and most of the Northern Hemisphere.
鈥淭he Earth is actually closest to the sun in early January and farthest away in early July,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he seasons are driven more by the tilt of the Earth than the distance from the sun.鈥�
The solstice, then, is a reminder of Earth鈥檚 elegant dance around the sun, its tilt creating the shifting seasons and the rhythm of light and dark that shapes life in Victoria and beyond.
One way to visualize this rhythm is through something called an analemma 鈥� a figure-eight shape that traces the sun鈥檚 position in the sky at the same time each day over the course of a year.
The top of the loop marks the sun鈥檚 high point at the summer solstice, while the bottom aligns with its lowest arc in winter.
Starting June 21, the reverse begins 鈥� we will lose about one minute of daylight every three days.
The winter solstice, which falls on Dec. 21, 2025, marks the shortest day of the year. On that day, there will be only about 8 hours and 18 minutes of daylight 鈥� roughly half the amount expected on June 20.
History shows that the solstice has been observed for more than 5,000 years, dating back to the Neolithic period. It has often been regarded as an unofficial halfway point of the year.
For many, it鈥檚 a chance to experience the longest day of the year, reflect on the months passed, and set goals for the remainder of the year as the sun sets.
So on June 20, as the sun climbs to its highest point, you can look skyward and reflect on the cosmic choreography at play 鈥� a pattern written not just in our calendars, but traced in the sky itself.
