merry summer solstice

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the Summer Solstice, or Litha if you prefer the Celtic name, the longest day of the year. Today, sunrise is at 5:34am and sunset is at 8:03PM. That means that the sun will be above the horizon for 14 hours and 29 minutes, at the latitude I am at, 34.7 degrees N, with much more daylight before and after actual sunrise and sunset.

If that wasn't enough, it is also the full moon. Moonrise is at 8:09PM, just 6 minutes after the sun sets. The June full moon is known by several names, including: Full Strawberry Moon, Full Rose Moon, Full Hot Moon.


Sunrise at Stonehenge at the 2005 Summer Solstice. (Yes, today) Since the sun rises 6 hours earlier at Stonehenge than in Alabama, there are already some pics of the event online.

If you happen to be in the Southern Hemisphere, then today is your Winter Solstice. Yep, we're hoarding the sun up here in the North. Oh, the Celtic name for the Winter Solstice is Yule, as a note of trivia.