The head of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, Dr. Ammar Al-Sakaji, confirmed that the summer solstice for this year will occur at 5:42 a.m. on the upcoming Saturday, according to the local time of the Kingdom. He noted that this moment marks the astronomical beginning of summer in Jordan and in the Northern Hemisphere.
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In a statement made on Thursday, he explained that the summer season will last for 93 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes, ending with the autumnal equinox on September 22. On the day of the solstice, Jordan will experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year, as the time between sunrise and sunset reaches its maximum. This phenomenon is observed in most countries located north of the equator, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences its shortest day of the year concurrently with the winter solstice.
He pointed out that the summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches its maximum northern declination in its apparent path around the Earth — that is, when it is at its highest point in the sky. During this time, Earth’s axis is tilted most directly toward the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, causing the sun’s rays to be directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer.
He added that after this day, the sun will begin to shift apparently southward in its annual journey, passing through the autumnal equinox in September before continuing to its southernmost point during the winter solstice on December 21.
Dr. Al-Sakaji also noted that this year's summer solstice coincides with a rare astronomical event known as the "Major Lunar Standstill" (Lunistice), a cycle that occurs once every 18.6 years. During this cycle, the moon reaches its extreme northern or southern declination in its apparent orbit around Earth.
He explained that this cycle causes a noticeable change in the moon’s path across the sky, as it rises and sets from points far from the usual east and west, tilting toward the north or south. This deviates from the moon’s typical movement pattern.
He also pointed out that the moon appears lower in the sky during some of its phases, especially during the full moon, as observed during the June 11 full moon, when the moon appeared clearly tilted toward the southern horizon with a noticeably lower orbital height.
This shift in the moon’s path contrasts with the sun’s position during the summer solstice, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, rising from the far northeast and setting in the far northwest.
Dr. Al-Sakaji considered this contrast between the movements of the sun and the moon a rare opportunity for astronomical observation, emphasizing that ancient civilizations used such phenomena in the design of their temples and monuments, and relied on them for agricultural timing and calendar systems, as these astronomical moments served as highly significant reference points.
He noted that the Jordanian Astronomical Society monitors these events annually by tracking sunrise and sunset times, measuring astronomical angles related to the sun’s movement, and observing its apparent path from various locations in Jordan for scientific and documentation purposes, in order to enhance public awareness of astronomy.
Petra News Agency
