Uri's Blog Notes from 44.483N, -92.261W, planet Earth

The longest day

At precisely 6:28 am CDT on June 21st, the sun will be directly overhead at 23.5 degrees north latitude. In Minnesota, the Twin Cities lies at about 45 degrees north. That means the sun will be at 68.5 degrees above the horizon on June 21st at solar noon. That's the highest point in the sky during the year.

Another interesting aspect of the sun this time of year in Minnesota is that the sun rises and sets north of due east and west. This is why the sunlight falls on the NORTH side of your home in June in the morning and evening. It's uplifting to see windows and other areas that do not get direct sun most of the year basking in sunlight.

The higher sun angles are accompanied by the longest daylight. The week of June 21st features about 15 hours and 36 minutes of daylight, and less than 9 hours of darkness. The sun sets in the central Twin Cities as late as 9:03 pm from June 20th until July 3rd.
Source: Updraft Blog