June 21 Marks Summer Solstice and Longest Day in Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice and Shortest Day in Southern Hemisphere

Photographs captured the first sunrise of summer behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building in New York City on Sunday morning. Sunday, June 21, 2026, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. June 21, 2026, marks the summer solstice and the start of astronomical summer north of the equator.

In the Southern Hemisphere on June 21, 2026, it is the shortest day of the year and the start of winter. The word 'solstice' comes from the Latin words 'sol' (sun) and 'stitium' (pause or stop). The summer solstice falls between June 20 and 22 each year.

During an equinox, the Earth's tilt is neither toward nor away from the sun, so both hemispheres receive equal sunlight.

The exact time of an equinox is the moment the sun is directly overhead at the equator. The Northern Hemisphere's autumnal equinox can occur between September 21 and 24.

Meteorological spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on September 1, and winter on December 1.