12/10/2023 0 Comments Solstice and equinox animation![]() The equinox also marks the start of six months of daylight at the North Pole, and six months of nighttime at the South Pole.Over the previous six months, the sun has been rising in the southeast and setting in the southwest, but on the equinox it rises due east and sets due west, before continuing its northward motion.The term, “equinox,” derives from equi-nox (equal-night), and on the equinox, the length of nighttime is nearly equal to the length of daytime,.The ground plane (latitude 50°N) is green, the rotating ecliptic plane is blue.Īlso represented are the celestial equator, the two tropics and the rotation axis. The green Sun is the one of the vernal equinox (March) These solstice days are the days with the most (for Summer) or fewest (for Winter) hours of sunlight during the whole year.I n the animation The Sun & the ecliptic rotation around the Earth: ![]() In the Southern Hemisphere, on the Tropic of Capricorn, that is the December Solstice. In the Northern hemisphere, on the Tropic of Cancer, that is the June Solstice. These are the latitudes where the Sun is directly overhead at noon once a year. The one in the Southern Hemisphere, − 23.5° latitude, is called the Tropic of Capricorn. The one in the Northern Hemisphere, +23.5° latitude, is called the Tropic of Cancer. The higher the number, the farther north (if it’s a + number) or south (if it’s a − number).īecause of Earth’s tilt is 23.5° the latitudes of +23.5° and −23.5° are special and have special names. The imaginary lines around Earth that are parallel to the Equator are called lines of latitude. It divides Earth into the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres. The equator is an imaginary line drawn right around Earth’s middle, like a belt. This tilt is the cause of Earth’s seasons. CREDIT This means that the Sun’s light does not hit the Earth evenly at a particular latitude above and below the equator. The orbital ellipse (with eccentricity exaggerated for effect) goes through each of the six Earth images, which are sequentially the perihelion (periapsis-nearest point to the Sun) on anywhere from 2 January to 5 January, the point of March equinox on 20 or 21 March, the point of June solstice on 20 or 21 June, the aphelion (apoapsis-the farthest point from the Sun) on anywhere from 4 July to 7 July, the September equinox on 22 or 23 September, and the December solstice on 21 or 22 December. This diagram shows the relation between the line of solstice and the line of apsides of Earth’s elliptical orbit. This means that the Sun’s light does not hit the Earth evenly at a particular latitude above and below the equator. This line is tilted 23.5° from Earth’s orbital path around the Sun. The axis of rotation is an imaginary line drawn straight through Earth connecting the North Pole to the South Pole. The solstices happen because of the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation with respect to its orbital path around the Sun. Solstices also mark the change from fall to winter or spring to summer. On the December solstice, the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky for an observer at the South Pole. On the June solstice, the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky for an observer at the North Pole. What are solstices? There are two solstices in a year, the June solstice (between June 20-22) and the December solstice (between December 20-23). It’s the last sunrise at Stonehenge before the Summer solstice. Watch the first Summer sunrise at Stonehengeįor some solstice excitement, or at least a little connection to how some ancient people focused on the sun by watching this special sunrise, turn into the live feed from Stonehenge. For 2023 it occurs on Wednesday, June 21st at 14:57 UTC It occurs between June 20th and 22nd every year. ![]() OR The June solstice is the beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere. A new season is upon us! Depending upon where you live: ![]()
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