Qatar Calendar House (QCH) has announced that the sun will rise directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 5:42 a.m. Doha time. This will result in the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, including Qatar.
According to Dr. Bashir Marzouk, an astronomy expert at QCH, this marks the official start of summer and is an important moment for tracking seasonal and weather changes. On this day, the sun will rise from its furthest northeastern point.
Dr. Marzouk noted that the solstice follows the vernal equinox that occurred in March. After that, the sun’s position will continue to move northward, increasing daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. After the solstice, the sun will begin to move south, gradually reducing the length of daylight.
The next major astronomical event will be the autumnal equinox on September 22, 2025, when day and night will be approximately equal. The solstices and equinoxes are caused by the 23.5° tilt of the Earth’s axis as it orbits the Sun, which is what causes the four seasons.
