This phenomenon, where a substantial portion of Earth's population experiences sunlight for an extended period of time around the summer solstice, can be explained by the tilt of the Earth's axis and its orbit around the sun.
Tilt of the Earth's Axis: Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. This tilt is approximately 23.5 degrees. As Earth orbits the sun, this tilt remains relatively constant, resulting in the changing seasons.
Summer Solstice: Around the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (around June 21st), the North Pole is tilted toward the sun. This means that for locations in the Northern Hemisphere, they experience longer daylight hours and shorter nights during this period.
Polar Circles and Midnight Sun: Near the poles, such as the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle, during the summer solstice, the sun doesn't set below the horizon for a period of time, leading to continuous daylight. This phenomenon is known as the Midnight Sun.
Daylight Hours Gradually Decrease: As you move away from the poles towards lower latitudes, daylight hours are longer but not continuous. The duration of daylight gradually decreases as you move towards the equator.
Equator and Equal Day and Night: At the equator, the day and night are approximately equal in length throughout the year due to Earth's axial tilt and its position in its orbit.
So, during the summer solstice, a significant portion of the Earth's population, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, experiences longer daylight hours due to the tilt of Earth's axis and its orbit around the sun. The opposite occurs around the winter solstice, where the Southern Hemisphere experiences longer daylight hours and the Northern Hemisphere experiences shorter days.
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