Monday, June 20, 2011

Summer begins Tuesday

Summer "officially" begins Tuesday at 1:16 PM EDT, the moment when the Sun's most direct rays will be at the Tropic of Cancer north of the Equator.
From our perspective on Earth, this is when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere, and it also has the most time of daylight. For Richmond, Tuesday will have 14 hours, 45 minutes, and 29 seconds of daylight.
After Tuesday, the daylight time will gradually lessen as the axial tilt of the Earth puts the Northern Hemisphere less in the direct path of the Sun's most direct rays. From our perspective on Earth, the Sun will appear to sink back southward.
Watch this educational video to learn why the Earth has seasons as a result of this "axial tilt":