Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman will witness the summer solstice phenomenon next Saturday as the sun aligns directly over the Tropic of Cancer, marking the official astronomical start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This year's summer season will last approximately 93 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes, according to astronomical calculations.
Al Mukhtar Saif Al Saeedi, a member of Oman Astronomical Society, explained that this year's summer solstice will occur precisely at 6:42 AM Oman time on Saturday, 21 June. In Muscat Governorate, residents will experience the longest day of the year, with sunrise at 5:21 AM, the sun reaching its highest point at 12:09 PM, and sunset at 6:57 PM - resulting in a day length of 13 hours, 35 minutes, and 35 seconds. This phenomenon creates the longest daylight period and shortest night of the year across most Northern Hemisphere regions, including Europe, Asia, North America, and the Arctic Circle.
The summer solstice represents a significant astronomical event where the Northern Hemisphere experiences its maximum tilt toward the sun, while simultaneously marking the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
The summer solstice coincides with several notable natural phenomena in Oman. Astronomically, it signals the beginning of Dhofar's Khareef season (monsoon season) along the coastal regions from Dhalkut in the west to Mirbat in the east, when monsoon winds carry moisture-laden clouds from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
