Summer Begins in Northern Hemisphere

This complete Image with the NOAA GOS -13 satellite of the GOS -13 satellite was captured at 7:45 a.m. HAE (11:45 UTC) and shows the Americas on June 21, 2012, early astronomical summer – in the northern hemisphere – this year.

The first day of summer in 2025 is June 20; It is also the longest day of the year. In the southern hemisphere, it is the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter.

The earth orbit at an angle, so the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun half of the year – it is summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere. The other half of the year, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, creating winter in north and summer to the south. Solstices occur twice a year, at the points of the earth orbit where this inclination is the most pronounced.

Image credit: NASA