SOLSTICE AND EQUINOX

Equinox  An astronomical event that happens twice, once in spring

and once in autumn each year when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun

During Equinoxes the tilt of the Earth (with respect to the Sun) is 0° and because of it duration of the day and the night are almost equal on Equinox day i.e. 12 hours

Equinoxes occur on 20th or 21st March and 22nd or 23rd September each year and both days has equal length of the day and the night. 

Solstice - solstitium meaning “sun stopping” an astronomical event that happens twice, once in

summer and once in winter, each year when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole

During Solstices the tilt of the axil of the Earth (with respect to the Sun) is the maximum at 23° 26'.

Solstices are preferably referred as June Solstice (Northern Solstice) and December Solstice (Southern Solstice)

Solstices occur on 20th or 21st June and 21st or 22nd December each year. During summer the day of the solstice is the longest day of the year and during winter the day of the solstice is the shortest day of the year

The first day of the Season of Summer (JUNE 21)

hours of daylight are increased in the northern hemisphere, the Sun

is farthest north and the length of time between Sunrise and Sunset is the longest of the year

The sun rises to the north of east, sets to the north of west

the sun is visible in the sky for a longer period

SUMMER SOLSTICE

It's also known as the northern solstice because it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere

during June Solstice it is summer time in the UK, the USA, Canada, Russia, India and China and it is the longest day of the year while it is winter time in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa and it is the shortest day of the year

Midnight Sun or Polar Night?On the June solstice, the midnight sun is visible (weather permitting) throughout the night, in all areas from just south of the Arctic Circle to the North Pole.Sunrise and Sunset TimesOn the other side of the planet, south of the Antarctic Circle there's Polar Night, meaning no Sunlight at all, on the June Solstice

Solstice Dates Vary it can happen anytime between June 20 and June 22, depending on which time

zone you're in June 22 Solstices are rare - the last June 22 Solstice took place in 1975 and

there won't be another one until 2203 The varying dates of the solstice are mainly due to the calendar system – most

western countries use the Gregorian calendar which has 365 days in a normal year and 366 days in a Leap Year

A tropical year, the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun completely, is ca. 365.242199 days, but varies slightly from year to year because of the influence of other planets. The exact orbital and daily rotational motion of the Earth, such as the “wobble” in the Earth's axis (precession of the equinoxes), also contributes to the changing solstice dates

WINTER SOLSTICE The first day of the Season of

Winter DECEMBER 21 in the northern hemisphere,

the Sun is farthest south and the length of time between Sunrise and Sunset is the shortest of the year

hours of daylight are decreased

during December Solstice, it is winter time in the UK, the USA, Canada, Russia, India and China and it is the shortest day of the year while it is summer time in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa and it is the longest day of the year

VERNAL EQUINOX The first day of the Season of Spring - and the beginning of a long

period of sunlight at the Pole In the northern hemisphere: MARCH 20 (the Sun crosses the Equator

moving northward) In the southern hemisphere: SEPTEMBER 22 (the Sun crosses the

Equator moving southward).

On March Equinox, it is spring time in the UK, the USA, Canada, Russia, India and China while it is autumn time in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa

AUTUMN EQUINOX The first day of the Season of Autumn - and the beginning of a long

period of darkness at the Pole. In the northern hemisphere: SEPTEMBER 22 (the Sun crosses the

Equator moving southward) In the southern hemisphere: MARCH 20 (the Sun crosses the Equator

moving northward).

Earth does not move at a constant speed in its elliptical orbit. Therefore the seasons are not of equal length: the times taken for the sun to move from the March Equinox to the June Solstice, to the September equinox, to the December solstice, and back to the March equinox are roughly 92.8, 93.6, 89.8 and 89.0 days respectively

The consolation in the Northern Hemisphere is that spring and summer last longer than autumn and winter

After the June solstice, the sun follows a lower and lower path through the sky each day in the Northern Hemisphere until it reaches the point where the length of daylight is about 12 hours and eight to nine minutes in areas that are about 30 degrees north or south of the equator

Areas 60 degrees north or south of the equator have daylight for about 12 hours and 16 minutes. This is the September Equinox, the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere

on September Equinox it is autumn time in the UK, the USA, Canada, Russia, India and China while it is spring time in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa

on September Equinox, it is autumn time in the UK, the USA, Canada, Russia, India and China while it is spring time in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa