The Summer Solstice is on its way to Macclesfield, taking place on what we call the longest day of the year.

In addition to having a whole arts and culture festival dedicated to it, the event is extra special in Macc as we are lucky to be surrounded by glorious countryside.

The Summer Solstice occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun, so therefore it reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight.

In 2021, this day will be Monday June 21 and it is interesting to note the difference in times for sunrise and sunset across the country.

Aside Macclesfield, Nub News has websites in towns across England and Wales, and the hours of daylight differ significantly between them.

For instance, our town furthest to the east is Felixstowe in Suffolk, where sunrise will be at 4.34am and sunset at 9.18pm.

However in Falmouth, which is the furthest west town that has a Nub News site, sunrise will not be until 5.10am and sunset at 9.33pm.

Macclesfield sits in between with sunrise on the longest day being at 4.40am and sunset will be at 9.31pm.

Since pre-history, the Summer Solstice has been seen as a significant time of year in many cultures, and has been marked by festivals and rituals.

Traditionally, the summer solstice is seen as the middle of summer and referred to as "midsummer". Today, however, in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of summer.

In 2021 the Summer Solstice, which is a one-off time on the longest day, and not the whole day itself, will happen at 4.32am. Which is before dawn for most of the UK, and eight minutes before sunrise in Macc.

In nearby Bollington, a Summer Solstice-themed wellness event will also take place the day prior. We featured it as an Event of the Week.

Where will you be watching the Summer Solstice from? Or will you be asleep?

Be sure to send any great Macclesfield Summer Solstice pictures to [email protected]. We'd love to feature them!

The times are according to this webpage. Macclesfield Nub News does not take responsibility for content on external sites.