Carol Fisher-Linn
June 21st. First day of summer. Summer Solstice! According to National Geographic, solstice is “the result of Earth’s north-south axis being tilted 23.4 degrees toward the sun. This tilt causes different amounts of sunlight to reach different regions of the planet during Earth’s year-long orbit around the sun. On the June solstice, the North Pole is tilted more toward the sun than on any other day of the year … the Northern Hemisphere will have the longest day and shortest night of the year.”
So, that means we were closest to the sun that day, right? Well, no. “During the Northern Hemisphere summer, we’re actually farthest away from the sun,” says Mark Hammergren, an astronomer at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. So, it’s not the hottest day of the year, either, though intuitively, one would think so. The earth may be absorbing a lot of sunlight on the summer solstice, but it takes several weeks to release it. That’s why we generally have our hottest days starting in July, normally, in the good old pre-planet-warming days. In that same piece in Nat Geo, Robert Howell, an astronomer at U of Wyoming tells it this way … it’s like turning on the oven. It takes time to heat up, and once you turn it off, it takes a while to cool down. “It’s the same with the earth,” says Howell.
Solstice has, for centuries, been a big deal. Ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramids so the sun sets precisely between two of the pyramids on summer solstice. Since you must be sitting on the Sphinx to get the best view of this event, be sure to reserve your spot early if you’re thinking of seeing it for yourself next year. The Incas did a lot of celebrating during what was for them winter solstice on the south side of the equator. This was their most important festival of the year. There’s lots of evidence that they did plenty of celebrating but also some serious purification ceremonies. These involved making sacred offerings of animals and, sadly, even children (inkaterra.com The ancient rituals of Inti Raymi) to Pachamama, the earth mother to ensure good harvest as the empire looked toward a new season. In Guatemala, an astronomical observatory found in a newly excavated Maya city proved that their buildings were designed to align with the sun during the solstices. And, of course, Stonehenge in the UK is the first thing one thinks when we think of solstices, right? Being there for one solstice should be on everyone’s bucket list. Take your favorite Wiccan who can tell you all you need to know about solstice at Stonehenge. Send a postcard.
Not to be outdone, we in North America have our own way of commemorating summer solstice. Next year, if you can’t reserve a seat on the Sphinx, plan a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, where they have commemorated summer solstice with a late-night baseball game for 116 years. Why? Why do you think? Yep – It started as a bar challenge. Here’s how it works: At 10 p.m. Alaska time, (2 a.m. here) the Alaska Goldpanners play right through the night at Growden Park in Fairbanks (go to Google Maps – it’s on 207 Wilbur Street – 4,058 miles – about 70 hours driving time – just head west from the Evl village park and look for the TransCanada Highway) because, yes, the sun stays up. That’s a BIG deal. No artificial lights used, ever, even in a cloudy, dim night. And, in true tourist-town style, the good people in Fairbanks dedicate the whole weekend to parties, street festivals and a 10K costumed fun-run for the townsfolk and 4,000 friends and visitors, because who wouldn’t want to celebrate the sun being up all night? Oh yes, and you know how you always sing, “Take me out to the Ballgame at a baseball game? Fairbanks loyalists sing “Happy Boy” “Hubba hubba…” by the Beat Farmers – totally worth the hunt on U-Tube. Arlene Solly will like this because everyone plays a kazoo! Mlb.com/news/midnight-sun-game.
You may have missed the day, but you haven’t missed the summer season. Heck it’s just beginning! Get out there and enjoy every minute. Remember, blink, and just like that the days are getting shorter!