Weekend Plans: Your Longest Day + Shortest Shadow

We in the northern hemisphere are about to experience our longest day and shortest night of the year. Monday, June 20, 2016 is our summer solstice.

earthsolstice_nemfrog — Fig 50. Solstice. **The heavens, an illustrated handbook of popular astronomy**. 1867. From archive.org by way of nemfrog

The solstice, from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), is when the Earth’s axis is most tilted towards the sun. For the first time since 1948, we also have a full Moon on the summer solstice.

Here are a few ways to celebrate the summer solstice in NYC and beyond:

Start the solstice with a sunrise concert that begins in total darkness; gradually the dawn light and music fills the largest cathedral in the world. Join the Paul Winter Consort on Saturday June 18th for the 21st annual Summer Solstice Celebration at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine
See the rare solstice Full Moon low on the horizon in the early morning hours of Monday, June 21. The Moon will appear amber-colored — a true Honey Moon.
Go outside at 1:00 pm on June 20 to see your shortest shadow of the year
Also on June 20, join thousands of yogis for an annual summer solstice celebration with free yoga in Times Square (yes, Times Square)
On Tuesday, June 21, watch the sunset on the water during a solstice paddle from Socrates Park

burrittgeographyheavens — Detail from Elijah Burritt’s “Burritt’s Atlas” 1856. (AMNH)

Do you celebrate the summer solstice? Feel free to leave a reply.

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