What is a solstice? A solstice is when the sun “stays in one place” while the earth changes how it spins on its axis. As you will see in the video, the top of the earth, the north pole, is closer to the sun for half of the year, while the south pole is farther away from the sun . Then the earth's tilt changes so that the bottom of the earth, the south pole, is closer to the sun for the other half of the year, while the north pole is farther away from the sun as this picture shows. Our spring and summer happen when the north pole tilts closer and closer towards the sun, and the day that the north pole is closet to the sun is our summer solstice. Our summer solstice is the longest day of the year, then the north pole begins tilting away from the sun, and the south pole begins to tilt closer to the sun. Wednesday, June 20th is our summer solstice, and while we are having the longest day of the year, my friends in Mozambique are having their shortest day of the year, their winter solstice.
Watch this!
