Summer has arrived

The Summer solstice arrived June 21 at 10:58 a.m. marking the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year along with some interesting facts and folklore. 

In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka summer solstice) occurs when the Sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky marking the astronomical start of summer. 

In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the start of winter. (Almanac 06/19/23) Summer Solstice 2023: Celebrate the First Day of Summer | The Old Farmer's Almanac 

At Stonehedge, England, some 8,000 revelers gathered around the prehistoric stone circle - about 80 miles SW of London - to express their devotion to the sun .. or to have some communal fun. 

Druids, pagans, hippies, local residents and tourists, many clad in an array of colorful costumes, including antlers, stayed and celebrated at Stonehenge for the night and greeted sunrise on the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Stonehenge continues to captivate people's imaginations as it has done for centuries, according to Nichola Tasker, director of Stonehenge at English Heritage, a charity that manages hundreds of historic sites. 

For druids and their modern-day spiritualists linked to the ancient Celtic religious order, Stonehenge has a centuries-long importance for performing rituals around the solstice based on the cycle of life, death and rebirth. 

Stonehenge remains one of the country’s biggest tourist draws. It was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C. 

Some of the so-called bluestones, are known to have come from the Preseli Hills in SW Wales, nearly 150 miles away, but the origins of others remain a mystery. 

The site’s meaning has been the subject of vigorous debate, including the involvement of aliens. 

English Heritage notes several explanations: From Stonehenge being a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events. 

All the stones match perfectly with the sun at both the summer and winter solstices. (The AP 06/21/23) All hail the rising sun! Stonehenge welcomes 8,000 visitors for the summer solstice | AP News