Today, June 21, 2010, is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the day of the year with the longest period of daylight. The summer solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun, and is celebrated in this region as the first day of summer. The seasonal significance of the summer solstice is in the reversal of the gradual shortening of nights and lengthening of days.
In his science fiction short story "All Summer in a Day" which takes place on Venus where the sun only appears for one hour every seven years, Ray Bradbury describes the power of the sun:
"The sun came out.
It was the color of flaming bronze, and it was very large. And the sky around it was a blazing blue tile color. And the jungle burned with sunlight as the children, released from their spell, rushed out, yelling into the summertime.""All Summer in a Day" appears in Mirrors and Windows, Level I.
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