According to the astronomical definition of solstices, this is a natural event during which one of the hemispheres is at the maximum tilt away from or towards the sun.
And, when this happens, the sun appears to stand still and reverses its direction. There are two types of solstices. These are summer and winter solstices. In reality, these are astronomical types of solstices. I mean these names are given according to the astronomical definition of the seasons that occurs during the time of solstices in one of the hemisphere. However, the official names of Solstices are somehow different from the above-mentioned ones. According to the definition of Solstice, the two types of solstices are June and December Solstice.
On the eve of June Solstice, the north pole of the earth is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. Therefore, as a result, marking the end of spring and the arrival of summer in the northern hemisphere. The sun will also enter the tropic of Cancer on the eve of June Soltice. Hence, known as the winter or hibernal solstice in the southern hemisphere.
Additionally, the day of June solstice will be the brightest as well as the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. On the contrary, it will also be the darkest as well as the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. On the eve of December Solstice, the south pole of the earth is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. Therefore, as a result, marking the end of spring and the arrival of summer in the southern hemisphere. The sun will also enter the tropic of Capricorn on the eve of December Solstice.
Hence, known as the winter or hibernal solstice in the northern hemisphere. Additionally, the day of December solstice will be the brightest as well as the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. On the contrary, it will also be the darkest as well as the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, moving ahead, as of today, in the northern hemisphere, the first day of summer will occur on Sunday, June 20, , at sharp Eastern Daylight Time EDT.
Yes, its date does vary. See, after every four years, there is a leap year. Therefore, in order to adjust the Gregorian Calendar with the eve of the winter solstice, the December solstice date varies.
For example, in , the December solstice occurred on the 22nd of the month. But next year i. Such is the case with all the types of Equinox and Solstice. Not to mention, there are some other factors too, that contribute to the variation in the equinox and solstice dates. But, just to make things simple, I am just neglecting them.
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It would make my day. I am a mechanical engineer by profession. Just because of my love for fundamental physics, I switched my career, and therefore I did my postgraduate degree in physics. Right now I am a loner as ever and a Physics blogger too. My sole future goal is to do a Ph. This may not seem like a large difference in the grand scheme of things, but our sun angle changes 47 degrees from winter to summer.
If you look up in the sky during the summer, imagine about 47 degrees towards the horizon, this is where the sun will be during the winter solstice. Now we'll change directions slightly and get into equinoxes. As we head into spring and fall, which are the transition seasons, the sun is directly over the equator center of the earth and the amount of sunlight is distributed evenly across the earth. So, 2 days a year, the equator has an even 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness.
Typically, the autumnal equinox is September 22 or 23, while the vernal equinox is March 20 - One thing to clear up, the earth is not physically tilting back and forth, it is in a stationary position on an axis and in orbit around the sun. So, it is always tilted Previous "Terror" vs. Solstice Learn With A Tutor. What is an equinox? Where does the word equinox come from? Where does the word solstice come from? Looking for more explanation? Don't Get Mixed Up Again!
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