Summer solstice

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/summer-solstice

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the northern hemisphere solstice date?Typically June 20 or 21
2. What is the maximum axial tilt angle?23.44 degrees
3. When does the summer solstice happen?In the Northern Hemisphere it falls around June 20 or 21, and in the Southern Hemisphere around December 21 or 22.
4. Why is the Sun higher in the sky on the summer solstice?Earth’s tilt of about 23.44 degrees makes the Sun’s path reach its highest point at noon, so it looks higher than on other days.

Aphelion: The point in Earth's orbit where it is farthest from the Sun.
Perihelion: The point in Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun.
Declination: The angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the celestial equator.