What is an Equinox? What's the Difference between a Solstice and an Equinox?
What is an Equinox? What's the Difference between a Solstice and an Equinox?
An equinox is a date when the duration of day is equal to the duration of night. The Sun will pass directly above the equator, bringing nearly equal amounts of day and night on all parts of Earth. At the equator, an equinox results in about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Equinox means "equal night" in Latin.
Solstice, an event that occurs twice a year, where the Sun appears to reach its northern most or farthest point from an observer on earth or southern most or the closest point from an observer on earth.
An equinox occurs midway between the two solstices, due to the position of the sun, solstice are dates when the duration of day is least equal to the duration of night.
The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and happens around 21 December in the Southern Hemisphere and 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and happens around 21 June in the Southern Hemisphere and 21 December in the Northen Hemisphere.
In simple words, if today is the equinox, everyday from tomorrow will have less equal hours during the day in relation with the night until the next equinox.
Both equinox and solstices belong to "astronomical" seasons that occur due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. Like there are two solstices, Summer and Winter Solstices, there are two equinoxes, the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. One around March 21 and another around September 22, the March equinox is also called as the vernal equinox signaling the onset of spring and The September equinox is also called as the autumnal equinox signaling the onset of Fall.
The names of the equinoxes are reversed depending on which hemisphere you experience it!
An equinox is a date when the duration of day is equal to the duration of night. The Sun will pass directly above the equator, bringing nearly equal amounts of day and night on all parts of Earth. At the equator, an equinox results in about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Equinox means "equal night" in Latin.
Solstice, an event that occurs twice a year, where the Sun appears to reach its northern most or farthest point from an observer on earth or southern most or the closest point from an observer on earth.
An equinox occurs midway between the two solstices, due to the position of the sun, solstice are dates when the duration of day is least equal to the duration of night.
The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and happens around 21 December in the Southern Hemisphere and 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and happens around 21 June in the Southern Hemisphere and 21 December in the Northen Hemisphere.
In simple words, if today is the equinox, everyday from tomorrow will have less equal hours during the day in relation with the night until the next equinox.
Both equinox and solstices belong to "astronomical" seasons that occur due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. Like there are two solstices, Summer and Winter Solstices, there are two equinoxes, the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. One around March 21 and another around September 22, the March equinox is also called as the vernal equinox signaling the onset of spring and The September equinox is also called as the autumnal equinox signaling the onset of Fall.
The names of the equinoxes are reversed depending on which hemisphere you experience it!
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