June 21, 2002	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1423

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KARACHI, June 20: Pakistan as well as countries located on the Northern hemisphere of the globe will experience the longest day of the year on Friday.

Officials of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) say that in technical parlance the phenomenon is referred to as the summer solstice.

“Solstice is defined as either of the two times of the year at which the sun is furthest south or north of the equator. The winter solstice falls on Dec 22 while the summer solstice takes place on June 21,” explains PMD Regional Director Arif Mehmood.

But the countries located on the Southern hemisphere will experience the shortest day, he adds.

On March 21 and Sept 22, day and night are of equal length, he says and adds that either time is known as equinox when the sun crosses the equator.

Legend has it that the summer solstice, also known as midsummer, prods human beings to engage in strange behaviour which is called ‘midsummer madness’.

This myth inspired Shakespeare in his ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, a romantic comedy.