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Solstice Sunset
Photograph by Kerim Okten, European Pressphoto Agency
Celebrants gather at Stonehenge on June 20 to watch the sunset on the eve of the summer solstice.
The June solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. It has long been an important religious, cultural, and agricultural marker for people around the world. (Related: "Summer Solstice 2013: Why It's the First Day of Summer.")
—Jane J. Lee
Published June 21, 2013
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Ancient Observatory
Photograph by Ognen Teofilovski, Reuters
Revelers near the town of Kumanovo, Macedonia (map) mark the summer solstice on the slopes of the Kokino megalithic observatory on June 21.
The fourth oldest observatory in the world, Kokino is 3,800 years old and was formed from cooled lava flows.
Published June 21, 2013
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Offerings
Photograph by David Mercado, Reuters
An Aymara woman in La Paz, Bolivia (map) holds an offering of flowers and a llama fetus during winter solstice celebrations on June 20. The Aymara are an indigenous group that live in the central Andes, which stretch across Peru and Bolivia.
Published June 21, 2013
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Solstice Yoga
Photograph by Eric Thayer, Reuters
Amidst the frenetic energy that is Times Square in New York City, a group of people calmly take part in yoga practice on June 21, the morning of the summer solstice.
Published June 21, 2013
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Night Lights For Solstice
Photograph by David Ebener, Picture-Alliance/DPA/AP
A boy plays with a glow stick during summer solstice celebrations on June 14 in Busbach, Germany (map). The festival, also known as St. John’s Fire or Kanz Fire, has roots in a pagan ritual celebrating the longest day of the year.
Published June 21, 2013
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Here Comes the Sun
Photograph by Jakub Ociepa, Agencja Gazeta/Reuters
A group of people gathers to celebrate the summer solstice and watch the sunrise from atop Kopiec Mound on June 21 near Crakow, Poland (map).
Published June 21, 2013
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Just Another Day
Photograph by Lucas Jackson, Reuters
High above Times Square in New York City, a window washer gets to work on June 21, the morning of the summer solstice.
Published June 21, 2013
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See more pictures of summer solstice celebrations
Photograph by Kieran Doherty, Reuters
Published June 21, 2013
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