Where on earth is day equal to night all year long? What is When is the equinox in spring.

The night of December 21-22 will be the longest in 2018 in the entire northern hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs for the reason that it was at this time that the inclination of the axis of rotation of the Earth relative to the Sun becomes the largest. In the calendar, this date is called the Winter Solstice.

The exact date and time of the winter solstice in 2018:

  • GMT - December 21, 22 hours 23 minutes GMT
  • Kiev time - December 22 at 00 hours 23 minutes
  • Moscow time - December 22 at 01 hours 23 minutes

December 21 and 22 are the shortest days of the year, and between them is the longest night of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the astronomical summer will begin at the time of the winter solstice. In astrology, the winter solstice is the moment the Sun passes into the constellation Capricorn and the beginning of the astronomical winter, which will last until the vernal equinox.

  • Video: Solstice and Equinox

The sun acts on the earth. The fiery planet emits light streams, and since our planet rotates around its axis, it turns out day and night.

  • The fiery planet brings heat to the Earth, which, as a result of the movement of our planet around the heavenly Star, causes a change of seasons.
  • The days of the equinox and solstice speak of astronomical seasonality.
  • What are these days and when do they come? How does the day decrease and increase during these periods? You will find answers to these and other questions in this article.

What are the days of the spring and autumn equinox: definition

Summer solstice

The equinox is an astronomical event. In such a period, the Fiery planet passes through the celestial equator. If you observe from outer space, then these days the light line (terminator) goes clearly at the poles and it is located perpendicular to the earth's equator.

  • Such a day is a unique natural manifestation.. The center of the solar planet crosses the equator in the sky.
  • On this day, our planet is tilted so that the beam of rays goes directly in the direction of the equator. The sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern. Almost throughout the Earth, day is equal to night.
  • On the day of the autumnal equinox, the Sun passes from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern. Accordingly, in this hemisphere March 21 is the autumnal equinox, and September 23 - the spring equinox.
  • The time period between two equal equinoxes is called a tropical year and is equal to 365.2422 days.

Due to the fact that the value is inaccurate, but approximate, the equality between day and night every year falls on different times of the day, moving 6 hours ahead. After 4 years, 1 day is added and this year is called a leap year.

The position of the sun at the equinox

The days of the equinox is a kind of limit to the movement of the Fiery planet from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere - in the fall, and in the spring, vice versa. This is characteristic of the territory of our planet, which is located above the equatorial zone. These days, the heavenly luminary rises clearly in the east and hides beyond the horizon in the west. This will be the position of the "bright" planet in the days when day and night are compared in their time - in autumn and spring.

But such a phenomenon will definitely be observed on the territory in the region of 23.5 ° north or south latitude. In other areas, there may be a slight movement towards the north or south.

Spring equinox day in 2018: date, longitude of the day

The vernal equinox is an important period in annual seasonality.

  • This day is considered the beginning of the astronomical spring. Our ancestors and modern people are looking forward to this period - warm days come after winter and cold weather, and daylight hours now begin to "add."
  • This date is not considered fixed and every 365 days it can be in a different time period.
  • The vernal equinox in 2018 is March 20.

At this time, daylight hours are equal to dark. Then every day it begins to increase by 1 minute, and during the summer solstice, the day will be the longest in the year.

Autumn equinox day in 2018: date, longitude of the day

During the autumn equinox, astronomical autumn begins.

On the day of the autumnal equinox, a second time a year, when the day is equal to night.

What are the days of the summer and winter solstice: definition

Solstice - translated from Latin "Solstitium" means "The sun has stopped".

June 20 or 21 the inclination of the axis of rotation of our planet from the North Pole with respect to the Sun is of the smallest value.

In December - 21 and 22 numbers, The Sun in the Northern Hemisphere shines on the South Tropic.

  • Moreover, the axis of rotation of our planet from the North Pole in the direction from the Sun assumes the greatest value.
  • On this day in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night is the winter solstice.
  • In the Southern Hemisphere, on the contrary, is the summer solstice.
  • Due to the shift in leap years, the solstice days may be different, but this difference is not more than 1 day.

The position of the sun on the days of the solstice

The periods between two solstices are the time when the sun shifts to the side above the horizon and below this line. The movement of the celestial luminary is similar in trajectory to a sinusoid. In winter, it drops lower, in the summer it rises higher. The angle between the sun and the horizon on our planet is:

  • In June - 90 degrees
  • In December - 270 degrees

A couple of days before and after the solstice period, the celestial luminary "freezes" at one point at 12 noon. But you cannot observe it directly above your head. You need to go above the equator at 23.5 degrees in the summer and similarly at 23.5 degrees south latitude - in the winter. So you will see the Sun directly vertically above you.

2018 Summer Solstice Date: Longest Day, Shortest Night

The date of the summer solstice is the time when the height of the Sun is highest. In 2018, this date falls on June 21. During this period - the longest day and the shortest night of the year.

2018 Winter Solstice Date: Longitude, Shortest Day

The ancient Slavs called this day the Day of the Renewal and Birth of the Sun. Some peoples even celebrated New Year's Day on the winter solstice. 2018 Winter Solstice Date: December 21st. During this period, the longest night and the shortest day.

How the day after the summer solstice decreases: chart

The graph of the decrease in the day after the summer solstice

As mentioned above, there is a decrease in the day after the summer solstice period every day by 1 minute. The graph above shows the longitude of the day in hours, it is indicated in green. A constant day is indicated in brown and night is white.

How the day after the winter solstice increases: graph

Analemma - a curve line in the form of a figure eight. It is written out by the Sun in the sky during the calendar year. To draw such a curve, you need to fix the celestial luminary at the same time. Thanks to such an analemma, it is visible how the Sun moves - rises and falls. After the day of the winter solstice, there is an increase in the day every day by 1 minute.

Days of the equinox and solstice: rites and magic

Astrologers claim that solstice days are the most dangerous period of the year. The energy of these days is weakened and can affect the internal state of a person. But popular signs claim the opposite. The equinox days are not so complicated, but they also have magical powers.

Thanks to magical rites, you can strengthen your energy and avoid the negative effects of the solar planet in these difficult periods. Meet this magical period in a good mood so as not to amplify the already complex energy of such days. Nobody should disturb a person’s internal state, even such changes in nature as the equinox and solstice.

year Equinox
March Solstice
June Equinox
September Solstice
December day time day time day time day time 2002 20 19:16 21 13:24 23 04:55 22 01:14 2003 21 01:00 21 19:10 23 10:47 22 07:04 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

Equinox - the moment when the center of the Sun in its visible motion along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.

The vernal equinox occurs either on March 21, when the sun passes from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and the autumn equinox, or on September 23, when it passes from the northern to the southern. These days, for all places of the Earth (excluding the regions of the Earth’s poles), the day is almost equal to night (“almost” - due to refraction, the fact that the Sun is not a point source of light, but a disk, and also because the equinox is shifted relative to 6 or 18 hours of local solar time). On the days of the vernal equinox and autumn equinox, the sun rises almost exactly in the east and sets almost exactly in the west. Whereas after the spring equinox (in the northern hemisphere) it rises north of the east and sets north of the west, and after the autumn equinox rises south of the east and sets south of the west.

The intersection points of the celestial equator with the ecliptic are called the equinoxes. Due to the ellipticity of its orbit, the Earth passes from the point of the autumnal equinox to the spring rather than from the point of spring to the point of autumn. Due to the precession of the earth's axis, the relative position of the equator and the ecliptic is slowly changing; this phenomenon is called the precession of the equinoxes. Over the year, the position of the equator changes so that the Sun arrives at the equinox 20 minutes 24 seconds earlier than the Earth completes a full revolution in orbit. As a result, the position of the equinoxes on the celestial sphere changes. From the point of the vernal equinox, counts are made of direct ascents along the celestial equator, longitudes along the ecliptic. Determining the position of this fictitious point on the celestial sphere is one of the main tasks of practical astronomy.

The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the corresponding seasons. The interval between the two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year, which is accepted for measuring time. The tropical year is approximately 365.2422 sunny days, so the equinox falls at different times of the day, moving forward for almost 6 hours each time. The Julian year spans 365¼ days. The insertion day of a leap year returns the equinox to the previous day of the year. But the tropical year is slightly less than the Julian one, and the equinox is actually slowly retreating according to the Julian calendar. In Gregorian chronology, due to a 3-day pass of 400 years, it is almost motionless (the Gregorian year averages 365.2425 days).

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See what the "Spring Equinox Day" is in other dictionaries:

    Day of spring equinox - The time when the center of the Sun in its visible motion along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator is called the equinox. The Earth at this time is in such a position with respect to the Sun, when both hemispheres, from the equator to the poles, heat up ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

    Astronomical spring, or vernal equinox - March 21 is the day of the onset of astronomical spring, it is also called the day of the vernal equinox. At this time, the Earth is in such a position with respect to the Sun, when both hemispheres, from the equator to the poles, heat up relatively equally. ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

    Autumnal equinox - September 23, 2013 at 00 hours 44 minutes Moscow time (Moscow time), the sun will once again cross the celestial equator and move from the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere to the southern. The day of the autumnal equinox will fall astronomical fall in ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

    Autumnal equinox (holiday) - Autumn equinox day commemoration of deceased relatives and a visit to their graves Autumn equinox day (秋分 の 日 syu: bun no hee ... Wikipedia

    Green day - (Jap. み ど り の 日 Midori no hee?) is Japan's public holiday. Since 2007, celebrated on May 4; in 1989 2006, celebrated on April 29. Part of the Japanese Golden Week. Until 1989, April 29 was the birthday of Emperor Sow ... ... Wikipedia

    Adulthood day - (Japanese. 成人 の йд seijin no hi?) is a Japanese state holiday, which is celebrated on the second Monday of January (one of the "happy Mondays"). On this day, all Japanese people who turned 20 over the past year celebrate their ... ... Wikipedia

    Thanksgiving Day - Labor Thanksgiving Echo of the Traditional Japanese Thanksgiving Celebration for Harvest Labor Thanksgiving ... Wikipedia

The equinox, implies at least an elementary knowledge of astronomical terms, because the equinox itself is a phenomenon studied precisely by this science.

Necessary knowledge of astronomical terms

Our luminary makes its movement along the ecliptic, which is, speaking in an unscientific language, the plane of the earth's orbit. And the moment when the sun, making its way along the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator, which is a large circle of air and parallel to the earth's equator (their planes coincide, and both of them are perpendicular to the axis of the world), is called the equinox. also an astronomical concept that has nothing to do with Schwarzenegger) is a line that divides any celestial body into a part illuminated by the sun and into the "night" one. So, on the day of the equinox, it is this terminator that passes through the geographic poles of the Earth and divides it into two equal half-ellipses.

A characteristic feature in the title

The very concept implies that on the day of the equinox, night and day are equal. From a scientific point of view, the night is always a little shorter, and the sun rises and sets not exactly in the east and west, but a little north. But still, from childhood, we know that June 22 is not only the day the war and school graduation balls began (as it was in Soviet times), but also the day of the summer equinox. However, it is also called the days of the summer and winter solstice on December 22. This happens because the sun in these periods of time is either at the highest point above the horizon, or at the lowest, and the most distant from the celestial equator. That is, on the day of the equinox, the light and dark parts of the day are almost equal to each other.

The number characteristic of the equinox and solstice

On the days of the solstices, one of them - either day or night - exceeds the other as much as possible. The days of the equinox and solstice are also noteworthy for the fact that they serve as the beginning of the seasons. These dates are very remarkable, and always one of the family members says that, supposedly, today is the longest or shortest day, or that today the day is equal to night. And this distinguishes him from a series of days following one after another. Almost always the date of these moments becomes the 22nd day, but there are leap years, and other moments and phenomena of astronomy that affect the date shift by the 21st or 23rd. The months of March, June, September and December are those on which the days of the equinox and solstice fall.

Holidays from antiquity

Of course, they have been known since ancient times. Our ancestors observed them and associated their lives with these dates, dozens of witnesses will accept this. The ancient Slavs have a certain holiday associated with each of these days, and it usually lasts a week (Kolyadki, Rusaliya, Pancake week). So, the winter solstice accounts for Kolyada, a holiday later dedicated to Christmas. Velikden, or Komoeditsa, also known as Shrovetide - these names signify the vernal equinox, the birth of a young sun. From this day begins the astrological sunny year, and our luminary passes into from the South. Maybe that's why the feast of astrology falls on March 20. Kupala (other names for Ivan Day, the Solstice), or summer confrontation, is a great summer holiday of the ancient Slavs, covered in legends praising the brave people who go that night to look for a fern flower. Ovsen-Tausen, the day of the autumnal equinox, after which winter slowly begins to take over, and nights become longer. Therefore, our ancestors in Svyatovit (another name) lit candles - the most beautiful was placed in a place of honor.

Earth's special climate zone

All these dates served as starting points for the beginning of certain activities necessary for life — seasonal farming, construction, or winter stocks. The days of the spring and autumn equinox are also characterized by the fact that the sun gives off its light and heat equally to the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and its rays reach both poles. These days, it is located over the territory of such a climatic zone of the Earth as the tropics (translated from Greek means a turning circle). In different directions from the equator to 23 with a small degree, parallel to it are the northern and southern tropics. A characteristic feature of the area enclosed between them is that the Sun reaches its zenith twice a year - once on June 22 above the northern tropic, or Tropic of Cancer, the second time over the Southern, or Tropic of Capricorn. It happens on December 22nd. This is characteristic of all latitudes. To the north and south of the tropics at the zenith of the sun is never.

One of the consequences of a shift in the direction of the earth's axis

On the days of the equinox and solstice, it intersects with the celestial equator at points located in the (spring) and Virgo (autumn), and on the days of the greatest and least distance from the equator, that is, on the days of the summer and winter solstice, in the constellations Taurus and Sagittarius, respectively . From the zodiac constellation Gemini to Taurus, the point of the summer solstice moved in 1988. Under the influence of the attraction of the Sun and the Moon, the earth's axis slowly shifts its direction (precession is another astronomical term), as a result of which the points of intersection of the star and the celestial equator are shifted. Spring dates differ from autumn dates, and if September falls on the 22-23rd, then the question "When is the spring equinox?" the answer is March 20. It should be noted that for the Southern Hemisphere, the dates will change places - the autumn will become spring, because everything is the other way around.

The role of the zodiac constellations

As noted above, the equinoxes are the intersection points of the celestial equator with the ecliptic, and they have their zodiac symbols corresponding to the constellations in which there are: spring - Aries, summer - Cancer, autumn - Libra, winter - Capricorn. It should be noted that the length of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called a tropical year, the number of sunny days in which differs from about 6 hours. And only thanks to the leap year, repeating once every 4 years, the date of the next equinox running ahead comes back to the previous number. With the Gregorian year, the difference is negligible (tropical - 365.2422 days, Gregorian - 365.2425), because this modern calendar is designed so that even in the long run the dates of the solstices and equinoxes fall on the same numbers. This happens because a pass is provided for 3 days once every 400 years.

One of the most important practical tasks of astronomy is to establish the date of the equinox

Dates range from 1 to 2, no more, days. So how do you determine the coming years when the equinox is? It is noticed that as a result of the presence of small fluctuations, the earliest dates, that is, the 19th, fall on leap years. Naturally, the latest (22) fall directly on the previous leap. Very rarely there are earlier and later dates, the memory of them is stored for centuries. So, in the distant 1696, the vernal equinox fell on March 19, and in 1903, the autumn equinox on September 24. Contemporaries will not see such deviations, because the repetition of the record of 1696 will fall on the 2096th, and the latest equinox (September 23) will happen no earlier than 2103. There are nuances associated with local time - a deviation in the figure from the world only happens when the exact date falls at 24:00. Indeed, to the west of the reference point - the zero meridian - a new day has not yet arrived.

The day of the vernal equinox (vernal equinox) is one of the most unique natural phenomena, the essence of which, in scientific terms, boils down to the fact that "at the moment of the equinox, the center of the sun in its visible movement along the ecliptic crosses the heavenly equator."

On this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while moving around the Sun, is in such a position with respect to the star that the sun's rays, carrying thermal energy, fall vertically on the equator. The sun passes from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and these days in all countries the day is almost equal to night.

There are spring and autumn equinoxes. UTC (in other time zones, these dates may vary by day) in the northern hemisphere spring equinox occurs 20th of Marchwhen the sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and autumn equinox occurs September 22 or 23(in 2019 - September 23), when the Sun passes from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn, and the September equinox is considered spring.


The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the corresponding seasons. The time interval between two equinoxes of the same name is called a tropical year. This year is today and taken to measure time. In the tropical year, there are approximately 365.2422 sunny days. That's because of this “approximately” equinox every year falls on a different time of the day, moving forward about 6 hours each year.

On the day of the vernal equinox, many peoples of the Earth begin the New Year: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - almost all the countries of the Great Silk Road connect the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.

The days of the vernal equinox were well known even by the ancient scientists of China, India, Egypt. In ancient times, the vernal equinox was considered a great holiday.

In religion, in ancient times, the day of the vernal equinox was also given significant importance. The date of the Easter holiday, which is celebrated every year at different times, was counted from the day of the vernal equinox as follows: March 21 - the first full moon - the first Sunday, which was considered a public holiday.

Many peoples have kept the vernal equinox as a holiday on the calendar. For example, in Farsi it is called, which means "new day." Having its roots in the traditions of ancient farmers in the Middle East and Central Asia, the holiday has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples professing Islam.

In the CIS, the equinox is celebrated as a national holiday by Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other peoples. In a number of countries, Navruz is declared a public holiday, and March 21 is a day off.


On this day, light and darkness are divided equally. In ancient times, when there were no calendars, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that from this day on, renewal in nature begins: the first spring thunder, swelling of the buds on the trees, lush sprouting of greenery.

The vernal equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revitalization and revival of nature, replaces Winter.

When the sun passes from the northern hemisphere to the southern, the autumnal equinox sets in.


Speaking about the equinox dates, you should distinguish between the date according to universal time and the date for a specific time zone:

if the equinox has arrived before 12:00 UTC, in some countries located west of the prime meridian this day may not yet come and in local time the onset of the equinox will be considered 1 day earlier;

if the equinox came later than 12:00 UTC, then in some countries located east of the prime meridian, the next day may already come and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.


According to the creators of the Gregorian calendar, the "official" date of the vernal equinox is March 21 (literally "12 days before the April calendars") because such a date of the vernal equinox was at the time of the Council of Nicaea.

The last time in this century, the spring equinox fell on March 21 in 2007, and then in the twenty-first century it will fall on March 20 or even on March 19.

The equinox is such an astronomical period when the center of the Sun "crosses" the celestial equator, while it is completely perpendicular to the equator of the Earth. If we talk about the northern hemisphere, then at the autumn equinox, namely September 22 or 23, the Sun passes from the northern hemisphere to the southern. And at this time, day is almost equal to night, which is why it got such a name. And the Sun rises almost strictly in the east and sets right in the west.

Each nation celebrates this day in its own way, having its own traditions. For example, in Russia it is customary to bake cabbage or lingonberry pies, arrange festivities, insert mountain ash brushes between window frames to preserve. And among the Celts it is a harvest festival, a festival of autumn and wisdom. And they have their own rituals - they first show everyone the best gifts of the summer, and then eat them, which guarantees the abundance of food for the whole year.

Autumn partes with summer
She cries now, then laughs
Then suddenly it will rain
Then suddenly the sun will flood everything,
Equinox of nature
Variety of weather!
Today is equal to night
Tomorrow it will be shorter
But it's tomorrow, and now,
With the equinox of all of you!
And though nature is dying away
Don't let it scare you
She needs a break too
Gather new strength, take a nap,
And I, in the autumn inclement weather,
I wish you LOVE and HAPPINESS!

Autumn is in the yard
Leaves with a brush gilding
And today is day and night
They are exactly the same!

The equinox has arrived
A star fell from the sky
May she bring you
Happiness, joy for the whole year!

With night, the day is equal today
Autumn sends us his greetings.
On a magical day I wish you
I have health for many years.

The equinox today -
The day is magical, difficult.
Let the surprise be sent to you
Wayward destiny.

In the autumnal equinox
I congratulate you,
Peace, harmony
I wish in my heart.

Let the foliage cover
From troubles and grievances
And the way to balance
Will be open.

Autumn equinox day today
And there is no reason to be sad.
It’s time to send a soul to flight,
For joy, she should soar.

I want to see the sea this day,
Let the veil go away forever.
So that your families prosper
Love let their hearts drink.

Today we will meet the holiday.
After all, day and night are equal again!
Not far before winter
Do not borrow heat on us!

The equinox is now
May the sun shine in the sky
To give us the strength reserve,
To live like in a dream come true!

Day lay down on the scales
The second got a night
Universe happy children,
Noisy son and quiet daughter.

The minutes were divided in half
They divided the clock for two,
Autumnal equinox
You gave us today.

I wish nights and days
Happiness you filled to the brim,
To live in harmony we
And the minutes of love did not count.

Autumn is playing outside the window
She wiped the leaves from the apple tree
The equinox to visit us
He looked at the day.

They do not argue day and night -
This fall day.
The sun has risen above the earth
The Quarter again takes its source!

Let in life you achieve
You are the same height
Let it be like the sun at its zenith
You shine forever on people!

Day and night are already on equal terms
So we crossed that threshold
When the summer was full,
And now the autumn evening

We were reminded that frost is nearby,
The cold, the cold will be here soon
Autumn will conquer the lush garden
And shook off the confident arrogance.

Give me your hand, sit with you
On a park bench by the creek
We always - in the summer and in the winter,
Together we will - only you and me!

Congratulations: 25 in verse.



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