On 21st June, the day of the June solstice, which one of the following actually happens?

Question

Accepted Answer

A. The Sun does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle. 21st June is the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice, and at this time the midnight sun phenomenon occurs at and above the Arctic Circle, so the Sun genuinely does not set there on this day. It is the Antarctic Circle, not the Arctic, that instead experiences continuous darkness on this date, and the Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, not the Equator or the Tropic of Capricorn, ruling out the other options. Hence option A correctly describes what happens on the June solstice.

Answer

A. The Sun does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle

Answer

B. The Sun does not set below the horizon at the Antarctic Circle

Answer

C. The Sun is directly overhead at the Equator

Answer

D. The Sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn