2018 Equinoxes and Solstices

2018 Equinoxes - Solstices

The Solstice

• The solstices and equinoxes and the seasons that we experience exist because the axis of rotation of the earth is at an angle of 23.4 degrees to the vertical axis. A solstice is an astronomical event that takes place twice each year when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole of the Earth. The word solstice is got from the Latin word "Sol" meaning Sun and "Sistere" meaning to stand still. The solstice would be either the longest day or the shortest day of the year because it is the length of the time between sunrise and sunset in the summer and winter respectively.



• On the other hand, an Equinox is an astronomical event that takes place twice in a year, mostly on 20 March and 22 September, when the axis of the earth is inclined neither away nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as that of the Equator of the earth. Equinox means "equal days and nights", that is the length of the day and the length of the night would be equal in timing.

Summer Solstice

- June 21 2018 10:07 GMT

• On the summer solstice, we enjoy the most daylight of the year. The Sun reaches its northern most point in the sky at localnoon. After summer solstice, the days start getting shorter.

Autumn Equinox

- September 23 2018 0154 GMT

• On the autumnal equinox, days and nights are each about 12 hours long. The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.

Winter Solstice

- December 21 2018 22:22 GMT

• The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, meaning the least amount of sunlight, the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting longer in timing.

The Equinoxes

• On the vernal equinox, day and night are each approximately 12 hours long. The Sun crosses the earth's equator going northward, it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.

Spring Equinox

- March 20 2018 16:15 GMT

• The Spring Equinox begins on March 21 and marks the start of the new astrological year in the tropical countries. The Sun will enter Aries, the first sign in the zodiac. This is typically a time of new beginnings and a fresh start.

• The Fall Equinox occurs when the Sun reaches the opposite balancing point in its path through the tropical zodiac. Once again, the day and night are of about equal length during this time. This occurs on September 21 and correlates to the sign of Libra. This time of year has become connected to "harvest" and reaping the fruits of our labor. At the same time, it brings up a certain respect for the fact that now, nights will become longer and it's time to conserve energy and resources.