Jody Victor : Here we are at the Bay - enjoying every minute we can. It has seemed like summer already but actually, today is the first day of summer.
In the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the summer season is the day of the year when the Sun is farthest north (on June 21st or 22nd). This day is known as the Summer Solstice.
The declination of the Sun on the Summer Solstice is known as the tropic of cancer (23 degrees 27'). In the southern hemisphere, winter and summer solstices are exchanged so that the Summer Solstice is the day on which the Sun is farthest south.
A common misconception is that the Earth is further from the sun in winter than in summer. Actually, the Earth is closest to the sun in December which is winter in the northern hemisphere.
As the Earth travels around the Sun in its orbit, the north-south position of the Sun changes over the course of the year due to the changing orientation of the Earth's tilted rotation axes. The dates of maximum tilt of the Earth's equator correspond to the Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice, and the dates of zero tilt to the Vernal Equinox and Autumnal Equinox.
The day of the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. The length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a maximum for the year. In the United States, there are about 14 1/2 hours of daylight on this day. More time to enjoy the bay! Have a wonderful first day of summer!