Summer season starts Wednesday, but not summer weather

EUGENE, Ore. - Summer officially starts with the summer solstice on Wednesday at 4:09 p.m.

More consistently summery weather may have to wait a while longer, however.

During the summer solstice, the earth is tilted so that the north pole is at its closest point with the sun, explained Jim Todd, OMSI planetarium manager. As a result there will be more minutes of sunlight in the northern hemisphere than there are at any other time of the year. 

The word “solstice” is derived from the Latin sol-stitium, for sun-standing, Todd said. The summer solstice is the time of the year when the sun stops its northern climb and reaches its highest northern point in the sky.

After June 21, the days will gradually grow shorter until Dec. 21, the winter solstice - the longest night of the year.

In the northern hemisphere, that is. For people in the southern hemisphere, the solstice is the shortest day of the year and the beginning of their winter.