Summer Solstice – Monitor and share your hours of daylight!

The longest day of the year is here! Time to celebrate the long days and warm summer nights now that summer has officially arrived.  You may not be aware that the new AcuRite Atlas™ not only measures UV index, but also light intensity. For a fun little experiment, this year on the Summer Solstice, check your graph of measured light in My AcuRite.

In the peak of the summer, the sun position is at its northernmost angle in the sky.  Usually, we think of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, but on the summer solstice, the sun rises from its most northeastern point on the horizon and sets in its most northwestern point on the horizon. The Atlas™ captures this maximum sun exposure with a solar panel on three sides of the unit.  These solar panels power the aspirating fan and allows it to continue running for the duration of the long summer days with the changing sun angles. By continuously pulling ambient air through the unit, this ensures a temperature measurement accuracy within 1 degree Fahrenheit all-year-round!

Share in the comments below the hours of daylight that were reported by your AcuRite Atlas™ Weather Station. Also check out 5 Facts on the Summer Solstice, so you are prepared to drop some knowledge at your summer solstice party or around the campfire this summer.