The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, a day falling around late June when there are approximately 17 hours of light. The name comes from the Latin solstitium meaning “sun stands still”. It happens because the sun stops heading north at the Tropic of Cancer and then returns back southwards.
In the northern hemisphere this means the days begin to get shorter. But 2016 is a special year, because the solstice coincides with the Strawberry Moon, a once-in-a-lifetime occurence. It is a full moon, which occurs in June, named by early Native American tribes. It is a full moon like any other, but marks the beginning of the strawberry season. The two events coincide once every 70 years. READ MORE
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