Summer is getting shorter, and it's just the beginning. Scientists explain why.

Although Earth is currently at aphelion—the farthest point in its orbit from the Sun—it's summer in our part of the world (though interrupted by cooler days and heavy rainfall). Seasonal changes are related to Earth's motion around the Sun and its axial tilt—23.4 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit. This tilt causes the Northern Hemisphere to be illuminated more intensely at times, while the Southern Hemisphere is illuminated more intensely at other times.

However, the seasons are not equal in length – the summer of 2025 will be shorter than in 2024. Where do these differences come from?

Earth's orbit affects the length of the seasons

The distance between Earth and the Sun influences the length of each season. Currently, aphelion occurs in early July, and perihelion (Earth's closest approach to the Sun) in early January.

In this arrangement, summer in the Northern Hemisphere is slightly longer than in the Southern Hemisphere. However, this is changing because the calendar year doesn't exactly align with the sidereal year—Earth's orbit around the Sun takes 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, and 9.54 seconds. As a result, the dates of aphelion and perihelion shift. Scientists predict that in about a thousand years, summer in the Northern Hemisphere will be six hours longer—but currently, we're seeing the opposite trend.

Summer 2025 15 minutes shorter. What's the reason?

Calculations show that the summer of 2025 will last 93 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes—15 minutes shorter than the previous year. In the summer of 2024, the season lasted exactly 93 days, 15 hours, and 52 minutes.

Why is summer getting shorter? As Timeanddate.com explains, these subtle differences stem from the ambiguity of our planet's motion. Astrophysicist Graham Jones emphasizes that subtle changes in the tilt of Earth's axis, as well as small changes in the shape and smoothness of its orbit, contribute. All of this is the result of gravitational forces acting on our planet – both from the Moon and larger planets like Jupiter.

Will Summer 2026 Be Extended Again? Nothing Is Permanent

So, can we expect the summer of 2026 to shorten again? No – scientists aren't observing a consistent trend, but rather so-called fluctuations, or minor fluctuations. Next year's summer is predicted to last 93 days, 15 hours, and 40 minutes, which is 3 minutes longer than in 2025.

The Solar System is an incredibly complex system, orbited by eight planets, moons, dwarf planets, and smaller celestial bodies. Their varying positions and distances from Earth have a subtle but real impact on the length of the seasons, though on a scale we don't perceive without precise measurements.

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