Sun arise...

Most people (and I have to admit that before I looked into this, I was one of them) think that the summer solstice and the longest day refer to the same thing. But no - the longest day (and the name sort of gives it away, doesn't it?) is the date on the calendar when there is the greatest time difference between sunrise and sunset - and that, here in the UK is today, June 21st. The summer solstice on the other hand is a precise moment in time when the sun is at its most northerly point relative to the earth, and this can be anytime from late on the 20th (as it is this year) to early on the 22nd. And then, just to really confuse the issue, Midsummer Day is on June 24th!