As well as being the sunniest day of the year, summer solstice is also the perfect opportunity for a beautiful image gallery.  So whether you’re looking for some inspiration on how to spend this years solstice or just enjoy awesome imagery this is the perfect place for you.
So, what is the solstice and why do we celebrate it?
‘Solstice’ literally means stopping or standing still of the sun and it’s the term used to describe the longest day of the year (when the sun is at its highest point). In the UK we can enjoy around 16 hours of sunlight on the day of Summer solstice.
We all love a sunny day but why do we celebrate this one? The answer is that it’s embedded in our culture from over 5000 years ago. Humans have always treasured warmth and light and Summer solstice is the perfect combination of the two.
Around the world solstice is celebrated in various ways from public holidays and festivals to cultural and religious rituals.
Here comes the science bit ()- The summer solstice occurs when the tilt of a planet’s semi-axis, in either the northern or the southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the sun. Earth’s maximum axial tilt toward the sun is 23° 26′.
Find out loads more about the solstice on
You can see more images of Summer Solstice in our lightbox.