Summer solstice occurs around which dates?

• A. June 20-21
• B. September 22-23
• C. March 20-21
• D. December 21-22

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the summer solstice marks the time when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most toward the Sun, so the Sun climbs highest in the sky at noon and daylight is longest. This happens around June 20–21 each year because Earth’s axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees and we orbit the Sun in a way that places the Sun at its northernmost position in our sky at that time. The exact date can shift by a day due to the elliptical shape of Earth’s orbit and leap years. It’s not about Earth being closest to the Sun (that occurs in early January, known as perihelion). The other dates correspond to different solar events: around March 20–21 is the vernal (spring) equinox, around September 22–23 is the autumnal (fall) equinox, and around December 21–22 is the winter solstice.