ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's been feeling like summer for a while in Florida but now it's officially here — the summer solstice this year lands on June 20. The solstice marks the longest day of the year, meaning it'll have the most daylight. Because of this, you may be wondering what time sunset is.
Sunrise on Thursday was at 6:34 a.m. Sunset is expected at 8:29 p.m. That results in 13 hours and 55 minutes of daylight on June 20, according to Time and Date.
Here’s what to know about the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere on Thursday. First, the solstice officially arrives at 4:50 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Earth spins on a tilt as it revolves around the sun. The summer solstice occurs for Earth’s upper half when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most closely toward the sun. This also marks the longest day and shortest night of the year.
Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn and happen when Earth’s axis and orbit line up such that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
The vernal equinox on March 19 kicked off spring, and the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22 will usher in fall.
This year’s summer solstice comes with a treat: the first full moon of the summer, coined the strawberry moon. The moon won’t be pink or red in color: Its name comes from several Indigenous tribes who noticed that its timing coincided with the strawberry harvest.
On Friday evening, cast your eyes to the southeast to glimpse the full moon peeking above the horizon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.