A Guide to Solstices and Equinoxes

A Guide to Solstices and Equinoxes Solstices and equinoxes are interesting terms that show up each year on our calendars. They are related to astronomy and the motions of our planet. Most people think of them as the start of a season. Thats true as far as a date on a calendar is concerned, but they dont necessarily predict climate or weather. The terms solstice and equinox are related to specific positions of the Suns in the sky throughout the year. Of course, the Sun doesnt move through our sky. But, it appears to move because Earth is turning on its axis, like a merry-go-round. People on a merry-go-round see people appear to move around them, but its really the ride thats moving. Its the same with Earth. As the planet spins around, people see the Sun appear to rise in the east and set in the west.  The Moon, planets,  and stars all appear to do the same thing, for the same reason.   Precessional movement of Earths pole. Earth turns on its axis once a day (shown by the white arrows). The axis is indicated by the red lines coming out the top and bottom poles. The white line is the imaginary line the pole traces out as Earth wobbles on its axis. NASA Earth Observatory adaptation How Are Solstices and Equinoxes Determined? Watch the sunrise and sunset each day (and remember never to look directly AT our hot, bright Sun), and notice its rise and set points change throughout the year. Notice also that the Suns position in the sky at noon is farther north at some times of year and more southerly at other times. The sunrise, sunset, and zenith points slide slowly to the north from December 21-22 to June 20-21 each year. Then, they appear to pause before starting the slow daily slide toward the south, from June 20-21st (the northernmost point) to December 21-22 (the southernmost point). Those stopping points are called the solstices (from the Latin  sol,  which means sun, and sistere,  which means stand still). These terms stem back to a time when early observers had no knowledge of Earths motions in space but did notice that the Sun appeared to stand still at its northernmost and southernmost points, before resuming its apparent motion south and north (respectively). Solstices Summer solstice is the longest day of the year for each hemisphere. For northern hemisphere observers, the June solstice (the 20th or 21st), marks the beginning of summer. In the southern hemisphere, thats the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter. Six months later, on December 21st or 22nd, winter begins with the shortest day of the year for northern hemisphere people. Its the start of summer and the longest day of the year for people south of the equator. This is why such solstices are now called the December and June solstices, rather than winter or summer solstices. It recognizes that the seasons for each hemisphere correspond to north or south location.   The Greek astronomer Hipparchus was the first to discover and chart the equinoxes. Getty Images   Equinoxes Equinoxes are also connected to this slow change of apparent solar position. The term equinox comes from two Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night). The Sun rises and sets exactly due east and due west on the equinoxes, and day and night are of equal length. In the northern hemisphere, the March equinox marks the first day of spring, while its the first day of autumn in the southern hemisphere. The September equinox is the first day of fall in the north and the first day of spring in the south.   So, the solstices and equinoxes are important calendar points that come to us from the apparent position of the Sun in our sky. They are also intimately connected to the seasons but are not the sole reason why we have seasons. The reasons for the seasons  are linked to Earths tilt and its position as it orbits the Sun.   Observing the Solstices and Equinoxes Charting the moments of solstice and equinox is a year-long observation project. Take a moment each day to observe the sky; notice sunrise or sunset and mark where those occur along your horizon. After a few weeks, its very easy to note a  very distinct shift of the positions north or south. Check out the appearance points of sunrise and sunset against the printed calendar and see how close they come to matching. Its a great long-term science activity for anyone to do, and has been the subject of more than a few science fair projects!   While the original ideas about solstices and equinoxes hark back to a time in human history when sky observers had no way of knowing about our planets motions in space, they still mark important dates that give people clues about the change of seasons. Today, ancient astronomical markers such as Stonehenge remind us that people have been looking to the sky, and measuring its motions, since the dawn of human history.