It may seem like summer is here, but the season doesn’t officially begin in Detroit until the summer solstice later in June.
Summer begins in the northern hemisphere on June 20, 2025, the day of the summer solstice. The actual solstice doesn’t take place until 10:42 p.m. that day.
In Detroit, sunrise is at 5:53 a.m. on June 20. Sunset is at 9:14 p.m. The longest day of the year for southeast Michigan will bring 15 hours, 20 minutes of daylight, according to the Old Farmers Almanac.
Because of the Earth’s tilt, locations along Michigan’s southern border will see slightly less daylight that day and Copper Harbor, far to the north, will seen more sunlight.
Here’s what to know about the summer solstice 2025:
What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice is when the Earth’s northern hemisphere points most directly toward the sun, according to Earth Sky.
“At this solstice, the northern hemisphere is most tilted toward the sun, by the maximum angle of 23.5 degrees. Conversely, the south is most tilted away, by the same amount,” Earth Sky said.
The day of the solstice is longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, meaning daylight hours are at a maximum, while night hours are at a minimum. Until the winter solstice in December, daylight hours will begin shrinking each day.
How long will the day be in Michigan on the solstice?
In Michigan, the amount of daylight will vary by location as you travel north.
In Morenci, Michigan, sunrise is at 6 a.m. and sunset at 9:16 p.m. with 15 hours, 15 minutes of daylight.
In Lansing, sunrise is at 5:58 a.m. and sunset at 9:21 p.m. with 15 hours, 23 minutes of daylight.
In Gaylord, sunrise is at 5:49 a.m. and sunset at 9:30 p.m. with 15 hours, 40 minutes of daylight.
Ironwood, at Michigan’s western border, sees the sun rise at 5:05 a.m. and set at 8:58 p.m. with 15 hours, 52 minutes of daylight.
At the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Copper Harbor will see sunrise at 5:52 a.m. and sunset at 9:54 p.m. with 16 hours, 1 minute of daylight.
When is the summer solstice 2025?
The moment when the Earth tilts most toward the sun is 10:42 p.m. June 20, 2025, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
How is the summer solstice celebrated?
While students enjoy the end of school, there are religious and cultural celebrations that occur during the solstice.
Here are a few global celebrations, according to Smithsonian magazine:
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Is it summer yet? When summer officially starts in 2025
Reporting by Sarah Moore, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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