JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Happy summer! The season officially begins on Thursday with the solstice at 4:51 p.m.
What makes this start to summer extra special? It's the earliest solstice since 1796. For context, that was George Washington's final year as president and when "Auld Lang Syne" was first published.
Summer came early this year because of the way the Gregorian calendar adds leap days. The summer solstice will be earlier and earlier every four years (leap year) until 2100, when a leap day is skipped and time slides back.
The summer solstice occurs when the sun's rays are directly over the tropic of cancer. This provides the what some call the "longest day of the year," meaning it has the most amount of daylight.
Thursday, Jacksonville has 14 hours, six minutes and 19 seconds of daylight. The sun rose at 6:25 a.m. and will set at 8:31 p.m.
