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June 21 will be PHL’s longest day in 2019 — PAGASA


The Philippines will have its longest day of the year on Friday as the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere falls on June 21, 2019, according to PAGASA.

The summer solstice occurs when the tilt of the Earth's northern axis towards the sun is at a maximum angle—and this happens around June 21 every year.

The summer solstice, however, is not a day but just a moment in the day. The weather bureau's astronomical diary states that the actual moment of the summer solstice will take place at 11:54 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time) on Friday.

"This is the time when the sun attains its greatest declination of +23.5 degrees and passes directly overhead at noon for all observers at latitude 23.5 degrees North, which is known as the Tropic of Cancer," PAGASA said.

Due to the occurrence of this astronomical event, those in the Northern Hemisphere experience the longest daylight hours, while the nights become longer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Northern Hemisphere has been tilting towards the sun and getting more daylight since the vernal (spring) equinox in March.

The summer solstice marks the "start of the apparent southward movement of the sun in the ecliptic [the sun's path in the sky]."

After the summer solstice, the northern axis begins tilting away from the sun and days will start getting shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, culminating in the winter solstice—the shortest day—around December 21. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News

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