The summer solstice is nearly here! At 5:14 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, it will be the start of astronomical summer.

There are 24 hours in every single day on earth. But as the earth rotates on its axis, with a 23.5-degree tilt, different latitudes across the earth experience different amounts of daylight and nighttime. With the summer solstice, Tuesday will have the longest amount of daylight across the tri-state. The sunrise will be at 5:25 a.m. and sunset at 8:30 p.m. That means 15 hours, 5 minutes, and 37 seconds of daylight!

Even though astronomical summer begins on June 21 and lasts through Sept. 23, meteorological summer has already begun. Meteorological summer runs from June 1 through Aug. 31 every year. Meteorological seasons are climatologically based and split into four three-month intervals — determined by the annual temperature cycle. The warmest temperatures are historically recorded during the months of June, July, and August, which is why this time is known as meteorological summer.

While the Northern Hemisphere sees its warmest temperatures of the year during the summer, the Earth is actually farthest away from the sun during early July, typically two weeks after the summer solstice. That is because the Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle, more consistent with an oval shape. When the Earth is farthest away from the sun, it is known as aphelion. In early January, the Earth is closest to the sun, known as perihelion. What causes our summers to be warmer is the 23.5-degree tilt of Earth, with the Northern Hemisphere leaning closer to the sun than the Southern Hemisphere. During the summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer, located at 23.5 degrees north latitude.

How do you plan on spending the warmer summer days? Share your summer photos and videos with us, by using the hashtag #n12stormwatchers and become a part of the growing team! And count on the News 12 Storm Watch Team to keep you safe and informed during the summer from hazards like high heat, tropical storms, and severe weather.