An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the Sun being vertically above a point on the Equator. The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day are approximately equally long. It may be better understood to mean that latitudes +L and -L north and south of the equator experience nights of equal length.
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.
The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some cultures they are considered to start or separate the seasons while in others they fall in the middle.
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| UTC date and time of solstices and equinoxes |
| year |
Equinox
Mar |
Solstice
June |
Equinox
Sept |
Solstice
Dec |
| day |
time |
day |
time |
day |
time |
day |
time |
| 2004 |
20 |
06:49 |
21 |
00:57 |
22 |
16:30 |
21 |
12:42 |
| 2005 |
20 |
12:33 |
21 |
06:46 |
22 |
22:23 |
21 |
18:35 |
| 2006 |
20 |
18:26 |
21 |
12:26 |
23 |
04:03 |
22 |
00:22 |
| 2007 |
21 |
00:07 |
21 |
18:06 |
23 |
09:51 |
22 |
06:08 |
| 2008 |
20 |
05:48 |
20 |
23:59 |
22 |
15:44 |
21 |
12:04 |
| 2009 |
20 |
11:44 |
21 |
05:45 |
22 |
21:18 |
21 |
17:47 |
| 2010 |
20 |
17:32 |
21 |
11:28 |
23 |
03:09 |
21 |
23:38 |
| 2011 |
20 |
23:21 |
21 |
17:16 |
23 |
09:04 |
22 |
05:30 |
| 2012 |
20 |
05:14 |
20 |
23:09 |
22 |
14:49 |
21 |
11:11 |
| 2013 |
20 |
11:02 |
21 |
05:04 |
22 |
20:44 |
21 |
17:11 |
| 2014 |
20 |
16:57 |
21 |
10:51 |
23 |
02:29 |
21 |
23:03 |
| 2015 |
20 |
22:45 |
21 |
16:38 |
23 |
08:20 |
22 |
04:48 |
| 2016 |
20 |
04:30 |
20 |
22:34 |
22 |
14:21 |
21 |
10:44 |
| 2017 |
20 |
10:28 |
21 |
04:24 |
22 |
20:02 |
21 |
16:28 |
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The table and text were copied from Wikipedia. |
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