Happy Summer Solstice

Scientific Diagram depicting the orientation of the earth to Sun
during the Summer and Winter Solstice. (Not to scale;)

Today is officially the "longest" day of the year. Actually to be more accurate it's the longest daylight of the year, but whatever right? It's pretty amazing either way. I sometimes wonder how much more productive I would be over the course of my life if it was light everyday till 9:00 pm!  But how does this event come about? What are the "nuts and bolts" of the solstices?
Well, as we all know the earth is tilted a little as it spins on it's axis. This results in the Northern Hemisphere being tilted toward the Sun in the summer, and away from the Sun in the winter which is the whole basis for why we have seasons. (This also explains why the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere).
So the solstice is the day in which the sun is the farthest "north" relative to the earth. Or maybe you could say it's the day when the northern end of the axis is pointed most directly at the Sun.
For more information please refer to the highly scientific attached diagram that I drew.
Another interesting thing to think about on this glorious day of sunshine is that it is the Winter Solstice in Antarctica right now, and there are hundreds of thousands of penguins huddling together in the cold and dark, trying to keep their eggs safe and warm until the Sun returns and brings spring with it. And I hope they are doing OK. It's not easy being a penguin.If you have never seen the movie March of the Pengiuns I absolutely recommend it. I think I will watch it tonight. It might seem odd,  to end the longest day of the year with thoughts about the shortest but I think it is a great way to really enjoy both, appreciate the cycle of the seasons (and the fact that we have seasons at all!) and "tune in" to the beat of our awesome planet! But whatever you decide to do, I hope it's pleasant and filled with sunshine!
Happy Summer Solstice everyone!!!