Happy Solstice! At 10:24 pm MDT today the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees latitude North, making it the longest day of the year at points north of that line. In those regions, the earth’s tilt toward the sun is at its...

Happy Solstice! At 10:24 pm MDT today the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees latitude North, making it the longest day of the year at points north of that line. In those regions, the earth’s tilt toward the sun is at its strongest point.

So why, you may ask, isn’t it also the hottest day of the year?

Although Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is absorbing more sunlight today, it takes time for that energy to get released into the atmosphere. The lag leads to the hottest days of the year often occurring in mid-July or later.

Photo: NASA

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