Strawberry Moon to follow earliest summer solstice in 228 years
The June solstice occurs at 4:50 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 20, 2024, the earliest solstice in 228 years. The solstice varies slightly from year to year, but the last time it happened this early was in 1796 when it took place at 1:45 p.m. ET on June 20. The first full day of summer will end with the first full moon of the season.
Days Get Shorter after Summer Solstice But…
Days start to get shorter after the summer solstice on June 20 due to the Earth’s tilt on its axis, which causes the seasons. The loss of daylight is gradual so you won’t notice as much at first, but speeds up as the autumnal equinox approaches. In September, the amount of daylight lost is usually the greatest, with days getting about 2.5 minutes shorter each day until late October. Days continue to get shorter until the winter solstice on December 21, which is the shortest day of the year. After the winter solstice, days gradually get longer again as the Earth’s axis tilts back towards the sun. Enjoy the longer days of summer in June!