The Midnight Sun.

Lake Country isn’t quite the land of the midnight sun—but it’s close! Have you ever noticed how the days get longer and longer in the summer, then start getting shorter and shorter through the fall and winter? Do you know why? The answer can be found at a variety of interesting websites.

June 21, 2009, marks the longest day of this year, known as the “summer solstice.” Though the science is complex, you can find easily understandable information about this incredible phenomenon, and it’s equally incredible consequences, at these Internet sites:

Understanding Summer Solstice explains the science and the seasons.

Solstice is also explained from a geography perspective at About.com.

Science Project Ideas for Kids describes why the solstice is different—in fact, just the opposite—in the northern and southern hemispheres.

Summer solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years at places like Stonehenge in England. To keep up-to-date with today’s daily changes in sunlight versus nighttime, the U.S. Naval Oceanography portal offers complete sun and moon data for any day and any location worldwide. Input different locations to see how the length of day varies depending on proximity to the equator and time of year.

And enjoy the summer solstice—because after that, the days start getting shorter ...