Today is the 2016 summer solstice. It marks the official start of summer, even though temperatures have made it feel like summer for some time now.
The term solstice comes from the Latin words "sol," meaning sun, and "sistere," meaning to come to a stop or stand still. During the summer solstice, the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. Instead of continuing in a forward motion as it does every other day, the sun appears to stand still before reversing directions and moving to the south again.
Because the solstice occurs at the moment the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, it happens at the same time for everyone in the world. However, since we have time zones, this could be today or tomorrow, depending on where you are located. Time and Date has a calculator for everyone to find out the exact moment of the summer solstice in their particular location.
This day comes and goes each year, but before it goes away again, here are 5 cool summer solstice facts to consider on the longest day of the year.
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1) It's the first summer solstice full moon in 49 years
According to EarthSky, this is the first summer solstice full moon in the Northern Hemisphere since 1967. That summer was considered the "Summer of Love" in cities around the world. Vanity Fair dubbed that summer "a blast of glamour, ecstacy, and Utopianism that turned America on to a whole new age."
Maybe this solstice full moon will send new waves crashing through society again.
2) It's the fourth of four full moons since the March equinox
There is something else special about tonight's full moon. There are typically only 3 full moons between the equinox and the solstice, but this time there are four. The last full moon, or the famous blue moon, fell on May 21 this year. It has been 6 years since a full moon fell on a solstice (the December 2010 solstice). This phenomenon won't occur again until 2062.
3) There are huge celebrations and superstitions
Much of Europe celebrates the summer solstice between June 21 and 25. In Finland and Germany, people often burn giant bonfires by the water. Celebrators dance around the fire because traditionally, jumping over flames is said to purify the person and increase their chances of getting married that year. The summer solstice was once believed to be a time to do magic and perform future-changing rituals.
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