Hot weather, swimming, outings, vacations – all of these events often herald the arrival of summer. Most people mistakenly believe that the season begins with the beginning of the summer solstice, but there are actually two definitions of summer. Let’s take a look at the hottest time of the year.
A matter of definition
Summer is the warmest season of the year, taking place between spring and fall. Temperatures during this period differ according to location on Earth; regions near the equator tend to be warmer than those near the poles. This is because, due to the curvature of the Earth, these places receive the most sunlight, according to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. The areas around the Earth’s poles also have ice, which reflects a large amount of the sun’s rays.
The summer equinox occurs when the sun passes directly over the equatordue to the tilt of the earth. When the seasons are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, it is called an astronomical summer. In the northern hemisphere, the astronomical summer occurs around June 21. The North Pole is tilted at the largest angle toward the sun at this time. In the southern hemisphere, summer occurs around December 22, according to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), when the South Pole is tilted towards the sun.
Theastronomical summerit goes from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox. The summer solstice is the day of the year when the sun stays the longest, while the equinox occurs when the night and day are roughly the same length.
However, there is another definition for summer. A weather season is defined as the 12 months of the year that are divided into four seasons with three months each, according to NOAA. June, July and August are considered summer, north of the equator, and December, January and February are summer to the south. During these months, temperatures tend to be higher than during the rest of the year.
Have you been wanting more? Take a look at these summer trivia.
