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Happy Summer Solstice!
| The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is here, marking the first official astronomical day of summer! The Earth does not orbit upright, instead it tilts on its axis by about 23.5 degrees as it revolves around the sun. The summer solstice occurs when the Earth’s tilt toward the sun is at its maximum. This event creates the longest day (length of daylight) of the year as the Sun rises and sets at its northernmost points in the sky. Humans have been celebrating solstices throughout history. Summer solstice has traditionally been a time to honor the return of light and life and to commemorate the Earth’s renewal and abundance. We humans are not the only creatures to pay attention to the length of day. Many plants and animals are sensitive to photoperiod, or daylength. Life events like plants flowering, and birds laying eggs, are triggered by length of day. Long summer days benefit many plant species, allowing them more time to utilize the sunlight for photosynthesis. Certain plants are triggered to reproduce as day length grows longer, other plants are triggered when day length becomes shorter. For many bird species, their reproductive maturation and cues to begin migrating are set off by day length. At this point in the season, most bird species have already found mates, built nests, incubated eggs, and are now raising their nestlings that still rely on their parents for food. Extended daylight provides maximum opportunity for birds to forage food for their young and their seemingly bottomless mouths. The seasonal variations in sunlight and moisture caused by the Earth’s tilt, has not only influenced breeding and growing seasons, but has prompted adaptations such as migration, hibernation, and dormancy. Without the tilt, there would be no seasons, and probably no reason to migrate, hibernate, etc. Today we celebrate summer, light, and the forces that shape life on Earth as we know it! |