UPSC Prelims 2022 GS Paper I · Q29 of 98 Geography easy

In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year normally occurs in the :

  1. (a) First half of the month of June
  2. (b) Second half of the month of June ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) First half of the month of July
  4. (d) Second half of the month of July

Why the answer is (b)

• The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere falls on the summer solstice, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer.

• The solstice occurs on 20, 21 or 22 June each year — that is, in the second half of June — option (b).

• On this day the Arctic Circle has 24 hours of daylight, and every northern latitude has its maximum day length.

• The Southern Hemisphere has its shortest day on the same date; its longest day is around 21–22 December.

• Hence option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) First half of the month of June
The solstice falls on 20-22 June, in the second half of the month.
(c) First half of the month of July
The longest day is in June, not July.
(d) Second half of the month of July
The longest day is in June, not July.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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