NPR – The summer solstice is happening in the Northern Hemisphere Tuesday, marking the longest day of the year and the first day of the new season.
The event officially begins at 5:13 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, according to the National Weather Service.
A solstice occurs when “Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt [about 23.5 degrees] toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year,” the agency said.
