Question

Which is the longest day of the year?
1.  21 May
2. 21 June
3. 22 December
4. 25 December

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : 21 June

The correct answer is 21 June.

• The longest day in the year is 21 June which is generally termed as Summer Solstice.
• The summer solstice which is generally termed as an estival solstice or midsummer occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun.
• It happens twice annually, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern).
• For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its apex position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight.
• Within the Arctic circle (for the northern hemisphere) or Antarctic circle (for the southern hemisphere), there is incessant daylight around the summer solstice.
• On the summer solstice, the earth's maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44°.

• In addition to, the Sun's declination from the celestial equator is 23.44°.
• The summer solstice occurs during the summer period.
• This is the June solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the December solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice happens sometime between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and between December 20 and December 23 in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The same dates in the contrary hemisphere are referred to as the winter solstice.