Summer 2027 starts on Monday, June 21 at 10:11 AM (Eastern Time)
In the Northern Hemisphere, astronomical summer starts at the June solstice: the instant when the Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, right above the Tropic of Cancer. The countdown above aims at that exact minute, computed with the method published by the astronomer Jean Meeus, and shows it in your own time zone. In 2027, it happens at 14:11 UTC, which is 10:11 AM in New York. The solstice day is the longest of the year north of the equator.
June 20 or June 21?
A solar year lasts about 365 days and 6 hours. Each year the solstice comes about six hours later, and every leap year the extra day pulls it back. That is why it falls on June 20 or June 21 in UTC, and quite often on June 20 in the American time zones, which are behind UTC.
Astronomical or meteorological summer?
Weather services use whole months to compare seasons: for them, summer runs from June 1 to August 31. Astronomers count from the solstice to the September equinox. School summer break is a third calendar, set by each district.
The June solstice in the coming years
| Year | Date (Eastern Time) | Time (ET) | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Monday, June 21 | 10:11 AM | 14:11, June 21 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, June 20 | 4:02 PM | 20:02, June 20 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, June 20 | 9:48 PM | 01:48, June 21 |
| 2030 | Friday, June 21 | 3:31 AM | 07:31, June 21 |
| 2031 | Saturday, June 21 | 9:17 AM | 13:17, June 21 |
| 2032 | Sunday, June 20 | 3:09 PM | 19:09, June 20 |
| 2033 | Monday, June 20 | 9:01 PM | 01:01, June 21 |
Ideas
- Watch the longest day: the sunrise and sunset times show how much daylight you get on the solstice where you live.
- Count down to your own summer: the first day of vacation or the end of the school year, with the countdown to any date.
- In the Southern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the start of winter. Summer starts at the December solstice, around December 21.