The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics announced that Monday June 20 will be the summer solstice, after which daylight hours will start to draw in again.
Somaya Saad, a professor of astronomy at the National Institute said in a statement that on Monday the sun will be at the farthest point from the earth, perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer.
The daylight hours will continue to recede until the day and night hit a point of equal duration on the autumnal equinox, September 21, she added.
The summer solstice is one of the most important astronomical phenomena. The period of the year when daylight hours are longer than the night extends for 93 days, 15 hours and 47 minutes, until September 21.
National Institute professor Yasser Abdel Hady said that Monday night will also see a full moon, coinciding with the 15th day of Ramadan.
The moon will be full at 1:13 a.m. on Tuesday morning, after which it will wane until the end of Ramadan, said Hady.
Saturn and Mars will appear on the right side of the moon on Monday night, he pointed out.
Ramadan, the Muslim holy month determined by the lunar phase, is expected to end on July 5 and Eid al-Fitr will begin July 6, according to Hady.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
