As the grass gets greener and the sun burns brighter, summer approaches faster and faster. This year will be slightly different, as solar summer started early on May 5. But, what is a solar summer?

A solar summer is a three-month period in which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted the most toward the sun, meaning days will be longer and we’ll have more sunshine than usual, unrelated to the summer solstice. Although longer days are a plus, more people will experience sunburns since the rays have a shorter travel distance to reach Earth, so stock up on sunscreen! (Fun fact! Regardless of your amount of melanin, you should be using some form of sunscreen or sun protectant!) This year’s solar summer will end on August 4, 2023, but if you can’t experience the solar summer to the fullest, two more are officially coming in the years to come!

As for astronomical summer (summer solstice or equinox ), this year’s starts on June 21 and ends on September 23. Regardless of the year, meteorological summer (the hottest three-month period) starts on June 1 and ends on August 31.

Solar summers are great news for those who own solar panels, as even more energy can be produced (however bad news for those who burn or overheat easily). Also, the solar summer is great for those of us who absolutely adore bright orange and red-endowed sunsets (reds and oranges survive much easier through longer sunray trips to the Earth’s surface!) Solar summers are also a quarter of the year.

When asked about solar summers, Centennial junior and self-proclaimed summer lover Madison Schiff exclaimed, “I didn’t even know solar summers existed, but longer days are amazing! I’m even more excited to go to the beach and for summer break now.”

Roosevelt senior and astronomy club member Joseph Wong stated, “Solar summers are amazing for Eastvale, as most houses have solar paneling. The more sun the better, in my opinion.”

Solar summers are a great and fascinating event, especially given the extended days. Have an amazing summer, and celebrate this event to the fullest!