The longest day and the shortest night in 2025: when do they come and exactly how long do they last

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the moment when the sun reaches the northernmost point of its path along the ecliptic and is at its maximum height above the horizon. On this day, the sun's rays fall almost perpendicular to the Northern Tropic, making the day the longest and the night the shortest of the year. About when the longest day and the shortest night will be in 2025, see the Izvestia article.

Summer Solstice: As it comes in the Northern Hemisphere

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which symbolizes the beginning of summer, usually occurs on June 20, 21 or 22, with slight time changes due to the movement of the Earth and the tilt of its axis. In 2025, the solstice will occur on June 21 at 05:42 Moscow time.

The summer solstice is the time of the year when one of the earth's hemispheres is tilted towards the Sun as much as possible and its rays fall at almost right angles. According to the Moscow Planetarium, the summer solstice is the day when the Sun reaches the Northern Tropic at a latitude of 23.5 degrees. In other words, such an astronomical phenomenon occurs due to the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation to the orbit of the Sun.

On this day, the greatest amount of sunlight reaches the Earth's surface, which means that residents of the Northern Hemisphere (in which 90% of the world's population lives) observe the longest day and the shortest night.

The longest day, the shortest night in 2025: folk signs on June 21, the Day of the Summer Solstice

At the North Pole and in regions close to it, for example, in Murmansk, the sun does not set at all at this time — the polar day there lasts from May 22 to July 22. After this moment, the nights begin to increase, and the light days begin to decrease.

Murmansk

Photo: TASS/Lev Fedoseev

At the same time, there is a polar night at the South Pole in June, when the Sun hardly appears above the horizon. Thus, when summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the height of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. These phenomena are not related to the distance from the Earth to the Sun, but solely to the tilt of the Earth's axis and the movement of the planet in orbit.

Since ancient times, the summer solstice has been given great importance, celebrating it with festivals and rituals. Most of the rituals associated with this day are dedicated to the Sun. It is believed that if you wake up with the first rays of the sun and wash your face with morning dew, good luck will accompany you in all your affairs. And the girls believed that such a ritual helps to preserve youth and beauty.

When is the shortest night in 2025: date, exact duration

The shortest night in 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere will occur on June 21-22— the summer solstice. During this period, daylight hours will be the longest of the year, and night will be the minimum in duration. For example, in Moscow on June 21, the duration of the night will be approximately six hours and 27 minutes.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the same thing is expected on December 21.

What is the longest day in 2025: when, how long does it last

The longest day in 2025 for residents of the Northern Hemisphere will come on June 21 and will begin at 05:42 Moscow time. In Moscow, daylight hours will be approximately 17 hours and 33 minutes. In other regions, the length of the longest day will vary depending on latitude: for example, in Sochi — about 15 hours and 26 minutes, and in northern cities such as Vorkuta, daylight hours can last up to 24 hours.

Astronomers believe that summer does not begin on the usual date of June 1, namely on the day of the summer solstice and ends at the autumnal equinox. This means that in the Northern Hemisphere it lasts approximately from June 20-21 to September 21-24. The exact end date may vary slightly from year to year.

Photo: TASS/Zuma

Astronomical summer is slightly longer than calendar summer, with an average of about 93.5 days, because the Earth does not move in orbit at the same speed. The southern hemisphere was a little less lucky: summers there are usually shorter by a few days.

Meteorological summer begins on June 1 for the convenience of analyzing weather and climate data.

Summer 2025 under threat: alarming weather forecast for June, July, August

What will summer be like in Central Russia, the south, the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East?

When will the day wane in 2025

In 2025, the day will begin to wane on June 22, immediately after the summer solstice. It is from this moment on that the daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere gradually decrease, and the nights become longer.

Does the summer equinox happen: why is it confused with the solstice

There is no summer equinox, and it is often confused with the summer solstice because of the similar names and because all astronomical events occur on the 20th of the month.

Photo: TASS/Valery Bushukhin

The equinox is the moment when day and night are equal in duration, and it occurs twice a year: in spring and autumn. The summer solstice is the day with the longest duration of daylight and the shortest night of the year, when the Sun reaches its maximum height above the horizon.

Confusion arises due to the fact that both events are associated with the movement of the Sun across the sky and the change of seasons, but, in fact, they are different phenomena with opposite characteristics: the equinox is the equality of day and night, the solstice is the maximum difference in the duration of daylight and darkness.