Summer Solstice Arrives In MA: Weather, Events, Daylight Changes

MASSACHUSETTS —As if summer events in Massachusetts aren’t already in full swing, here’s another reason to celebrate the season: The June solstice, the peak sun day of the year, arrives Wednesday.

To mark the date, there are celebrations planned across the state. But there are other solstice milestones to keep in mind, including weather and daylight changes and astrological events.

The sun travels its longest path through the sky on the day of the summer solstice, which occurs the exact moment Sol reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky, making it the longest day of the year in terms of daylight. In Massachusetts, that’s at about 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

On Wednesday, the sun will rise at 5: 07 a.m. and will set at 8:24 p.m., meaning we’ll see almost 15-1/2 hours of daylight.

The summer solstice offers a short window to see electric blue noctilucent clouds, the highest in Earth's atmosphere, which float about 50 miles above our planet's surface near the edge of space, which starts at an altitude of 62 miles.

To celebrate the peak sun day of the year, here are just a few summer solstice events across Massachusetts this week:

• Summer Solstice Hike at Asnebumskit Ridge (Paxton)
• Free Summer Solstice 2023: Night at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture (Cambridge)
• Sunset Paddle at White's Landing Historic Quaboag (Brookfield)
• The Rite of The Summer Solstice: A Witches' Sabbat (Salem)
• Summer Solstice Party at Sam Adams (Boston)
• Orange Solstice RiverFest (Orange)
• A Midsummer's Night Dream - Summer Solstice Party (Ashland)
• Summer Solstice at World’s End (Hingham)
• Summer Solstice on the Esplanade (Boston)
• Summer Solstice Plover Stroll at Demarest Lloyd State Park (Dartmouth)
• Mountain Mindfulness: Summer Solstice Walk (Lanesborough)

As you’re filling out your summer calendar, block out a few dates for the summer meteor showers. The Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids and Perseids all start in July. the July 3 full buck moon is the first of four consecutive supermoons. They’re not that much different from other full moons, but they do appear to be bigger and brighter.

• Read More: 2023 Guide To Meteor Showers And Other Celestial Events

And, who knows, you may get a chance to see the aurora borealis as the sun’s 11-year magnetic cycle goes into overdrive as it approaches what’s known as “solar maximum.” When this happens, the sun’s magnetic fields flip, creating a greater number of sunspots that can set off the ethereal northern lights displays.

• Read More: Aurora Borealis Displays More Likely In Active Solar Storm Season | Aurora Borealis Hunting: What’s A Kp Index, More Northern Lights Tips

But none of what's going on in the sky will matter if there are clouds blocking it.

According to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center, the 30-day outlook (issued June 15) sees exactly average amounts of rainfall for Massachusetts combined with temperatures that will likely be above average.

You can read more about the science of the summer solstice on The Old Farmer’s Almanac website.