Answer to Question #137362 in Astronomy | Astrophysics for BG LUMKWANA

Question

what and when are solstices and equinoxes

Answer 1

Solstices are the two times of the year when the sun's apparent path is either furthest north or south from the Earth's equator. This happens on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The two types of solstices i.e. the summer solstice and the winter solstice occur on the opposite times of the year.

The summer solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere on dates 20^th or 21^st of June. On the other hand, winter solstice occurs in the Southern Hemisphere on dates 21st or 22nd of December. During winter solstice the daytime is shortest while during summer solstice the daytime is longest.

Equinoxes are the two times of the year when the daytime and nighttime are almost of equal length both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. During the solstices, the Earth orbits the sun at a tilted angle of 23.5°, causing different parts of the planet to receive more or less of the Sun's radiation. But, during equinoxes, the tilt of the planet is aligned with its orbit around the sun. During this time, the sun is positioned directly above the equator hence, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive same hours of night and daylight. The dates around which these occur are 20^th of March and 23^rd of September.