Wednesday 18 / June / 2025
Muscat: Astronomically, Saturday, June 21, 2025, will mark the first day of summer and the beginning of Dhofar's Khareef season in the Sultanate of Oman.
The Summer Solstice commences when the Sun's rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. This day officially ushers in Astronomical Summer for the Northern Hemisphere, with the season lasting approximately 93 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes.
Al Mukhtar bin Saif Al Saeedi, a member of the Omani Society for Astronomy and Space, confirmed that this year's Summer Solstice will occur on Saturday, June 21, at 6:42 a.m. Oman time. In Muscat Governorate, the sun will rise at 5:21 a.m., reach its central position at 12:09 p.m., and set at 6:57 p.m. Daytime in Muscat will extend for 13 hours, 35 minutes, and 35 seconds, making it the longest day of the year and the shortest night across most regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, North America, and the Arctic.
Al Saeedi explained that while the summer solstice signals the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it simultaneously marks the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere. The Earth's two primary movements—its daily rotation on its axis and its annual orbit around the sun—are responsible for the alternation of day and night and the changing seasons, respectively. The 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation relative to its orbit around the sun is the fundamental reason for these solstices and equinoxes.
He further clarified that these astronomical events do not directly dictate temperature changes, as surface temperatures are influenced more by climatic and atmospheric factors like air currents, heat waves, and wind patterns, which are weather-related rather than strictly seasonal.
Al Saeedi highlighted several phenomena accompanying this astronomical event on Earth, including:
The astronomical commencement of the Dhofar Khareef season, which impacts the coastal wilayats of Dhofar Governorate, stretching from Dhalkut in the west to Mirbat in the east. This season is characterized by monsoon winds and the influx of clouds from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
The absence of a noon shadow in areas located directly on the Tropic of Cancer, such as Al Amerat, Fanja, Wadi Al Maawil, Rustaq, and Ibri.
On this day, the Sun will rise from its farthest point in the northeast and set at its farthest point in the northwest.
The number of night hours will shorten, and daytime hours will lengthen, subsequently beginning to decrease until the Autumnal Equinox on September 22, when day and night hours will be equal.
