Summer Solstice takes place on June 21, 2015

[Ross]

Summer Solstice 
June 21, 2015

Only two more weeks until the summer solstice. Many readers know that the summer solstice is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. But how long is a day? These maps show the length of the day in Alaska and the Lower 48 on the summer solstice solstice. Just north of Fairbanks, the length of a day is 24 hours on the solstice. In Anchorage, the day is nearly 19.5 hours long and in Juneau it is about 18 hours and 15 minutes. This just shows actual daylight. If you include twilight, the 24-hour line drops just below Anchorage. See map here: http://on.fb.me/1MglOO6

Note: since the sun is not a point, sunrise is defined as the time when the top of the sun's disc reaches the horizon and sunset is the time when the top of the sun's disc drops below the horizon. This means that the area of 24-hour daylight extends 0.83° latitude south of the Arctic Circle.

Alaska Climate Info added 2 new photos.