Summer Solstice 2007

JUN-21 @ 18:06
Yes it's here, the official longest day of the year. In reviewing what a great day the first day of summer is, I found some pretty interesting facts:

"Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day. On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before. In this sense, it "stands still."

To the unaided eye, the sun would seem to set/rise at the same location on the horizon for about five days before and after the actual solstice.

It is also referred to as Midsummer because it is roughly the middle of the growing season throughout much of Europe.