What time did you say it was?

Resurrection Bay, Seward - Alaska



My family had the incredible opportunity to travel to Alaska in the summer of 2010 to visit some of our best friends that were stationed at Fort Richardson. There were so many things that we saw and discovered, but perhaps the most unusual experience was adjusting to the long hours of daylight.

The above photo was taken at 10 p.m., as we were ready to depart for our "Midnight Kayak" trip!

Outside Denali National Park, about 2 a.m.



Our visit was near the summer solstice, which depending on the year takes place on June 20-21st. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the day we experience the most hours of sunlight, also the official start of summer. The 23.5 degree tilt of Earth on its axis is what causes our seasons and various amounts of sunlight depending on time of year.

Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from the north. Far left: summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere. Front right: summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. (From Wikipedia)

So, if the summer solstice is the longest day of sunlight ... does that mean it is also the hottest day? Find out by reading this article from National Geographic!