If you\u2019ve read this blog over the years, you know that there have been several entries about and around the equinoxes. There are a lot of myths and traditions associated with these events and those \u201cturning points\u201d have played significant roles in human culture. If you\u2019re interested, you can check the archives to see some of the myths\/traditions I\u2019ve pursued a bit over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I write this, there is only about ten minutes left in the summer of 2010. Since the autumnal equinox is fast approaching, I thought it might be a good time to visit the subject again. Equinoxes signal the changes in seasons \u2014 but so do solstices, so what\u2019s the difference \u2014or \u2014 are they pretty much the same and just referred to by different names.
Well, they\u2019re not the same \u2014 in fact they\u2019re distinctly different.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people know that the seasons change because the Earth is slightly tilted on its axis as it travels around the Sun. This means that different points on the ground receive more or less sunlight at different times of the year. If the Earth wasn\u2019t tilted, the Sun would always appear to be directly above the Equator and the amount of light any given location received would be fixed \u2014 there would be no \u201cseasons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we do have seasons and every year we have two equinoxes and two solstices. So let\u2019s get the differences out of the way\u2026. solstices are the days when the Sun\u2019s path in the sky is the farthest north or south of the Equator. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. Equinoxes are the days when the Sun is exactly above the Equator, which makes daylight and darkness of equal length. As you know, the seasons are reversed in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal (spring) equinox occurs about March 21 \u2014 day and night are of equal length and that marks the start of spring.
The autumnal (fall) equinox occurs about September 23 \u2014 again, day and night are of equal length and this marks the start of autumn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 \u2014 it\u2019s the longest day of the year and marks the start of summer.
The winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 \u2014 it\u2019s the shortest day of the yea and marks the start of winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So goodbye summer \u2014 hello fall, right on schedule. Seems like solstices and equinoxes are about the only things that haven\u2019t changed this year\u2026.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019ve read this blog over the years, you know that there have been several entries about and around the equinoxes. There are a lot of myths and traditions associated with these events and those \u201cturning points\u201d have played significant … Continue reading