Answer to Question #103429 in Trigonometry for Tamara

Question

The longest and shortest days of the year and the days of equal daytime and night – time have special names. What are they called, and why?

Answer 1

The longest day of the year is called summer solstice and the shortest day of the year is called winter solstice. The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words “sol” (sun) and “stitium” (still or stopped). The ancients noticed that as summer progressed, the sun stopped moving northward in the sky, then begin tracking southward again as summer turned to autumn. (During the winter solstice, the sun does the opposite, and begins moving northward as winter slowly turns to spring.)

The days having equal length of day and night times are called vernal equinox and autumnal equinox. Equinox means "equal." During these times, the hours of daylight and night are equal and the tilt of earth is zero Neither away from the sun nor towards the sun.