The Earth's northern hemisphere is outlined as a sunlitcrescent in this dramatic view from orbit, recorded nearlocal midnight by the GeostationaryOperational Environmental Satellite GOES-8) on June 22, 1996.That date was two days afte theSolstice, by astronomicalreckoning, the first day of summer in the northand winter in the southern hemisphere.Today's scheduledgeocentric astronomical event is again thenorthern hemisphere's summer Solstice, with the Sun reachingits northernmost declinationat 19 hours 10 minutes Universal Time.That makes today also the longest da ofthe year in the north, withthe arcticregions near the top of the pictur experiencing 24 hours of daylight.Looking south along the Earth's limb atmosphericscattering ofsunlight causes the limb to be visible beyondareas directly illuminated by the sun.
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