Summer officially starts at exactly 6:07 am Eastern time on Thursday, June 21st. But now that we got those boring details out of the way, let's talk the science of it all! The Science The earth is tilted. I know, shocker right!? But this tilt is actually what gives our unique little planet it's seasons! Simply put, during the summer months the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. This gives us longer days and more direct sunlight on those long days. Hence all that summer heat we all love so much. Or, most of us anyways– but we'll get to that in a bit. In the winter it's the opposite. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, while the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. Hence their winter occurring during our summer and vice versa. The solstice is actually the day in which we experience the most or least amount of sunshine in a calendar year, depending on which side of the globe you call home. One Long Day June 21st is set to be the longest day of the year for residents of the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, a lucky few won't even get to see a sunset! Looking to take advantage of all of this sunshine? Here's how much you'll get: We here at the WeatherNation studios in Denver boast a 14:59 day! But we are nowhere close to having the longest day in the US! That Summer Sizzle While the shorts and flip flops are already a staple in weekend attire, many of us are still a few weeks away from the dog days of summer. Heating is a lagging response, so even though we will see the longest day of the year on June 21st, it'll take some time before most of us see the hottest days of summer. Time to put on the sunscreen! For WeatherNation — Meteorologist Jeremy LaGoo