COMPARISON OF EQUINOX'S & SOLTICES

Comparison of Equinox's & Soltices



Comparison of Equinox's & Soltices

The September equinox occurs at 09:04 (or 9:04) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on September 23, 2011. It also known as the autumnal equinox, the autumn in the northern hemisphere and the spring or vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere (not to be confused with the March equinox.) (Zalewski 2002) This is due to the seasonal contrast between both hemispheres throughout the year. The vernal equinox occurs in the spring, while the autumnal equinox occurs during the fall (autumn). These terms are derived from Latin. It is important to note that the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere is in March, while the autumnal equinox is in September. By contrast, the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere is in September and autumn equinox is in March. the upper panel shows that the summer solstice (which occurs around June 21), the northern half of the Earth is tilted toward the sun. Note that the Sun is north of Ecuador. (Moche 2009)That in Topeka, the altitude of the sun at noon is 73.5 degrees, which is quite high in the sky. In fact, it is as high as the sun never reaches this latitude. The picture below shows how the sun moves across the sky to someone standing on the ground in Topeka.

So, in general, the northern hemisphere is getting more sunlight, warming the Earth as efficiently as possible, that the southern hemisphere. This is the summer for people in the northern hemisphere. (Hugh 2001)During the summer, the sun also is above the horizon longer than it is during the winter. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year.

At the same time, the southern half of the Earth is tilted away from the sun. How high the Sun enters your sky, and the time is above the horizon during the day, not only depend on the season, but also on your latitude. This distinction reflects seasonal differences when comparing the two hemispheres. timeanddate.com two equinoxes refers to simply as the equinoxes in March and September to avoid false assumptions that spring is in March and the fall (autumn) is worldwide in September. This is simply not the case. (Moche 2009)

To calculate the approximate time and date (according to Coordinated Universal Time) of the March equinox and the June and December solstices and the September equinox, click the calculator Seasons. ...