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solstice
[sol-stis, sohl-]
noun
Astronomy.
either of the two times a year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator: about June 21, when the sun reaches its northernmost point on the celestial sphere, or about December 22, when it reaches its southernmost point.
either of the two points in the ecliptic farthest from the equator.
a furthest or culminating point; a turning point.
solstice
/ ˈsɒlstɪs, sɒlˈstɪʃəl /
noun
either the shortest day of the year ( winter solstice ) or the longest day of the year ( summer solstice )
either of the two points on the ecliptic at which the sun is overhead at the tropic of Cancer or Capricorn at the summer and winter solstices
solstice
Either of the two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun) reaches its greatest distance north or south of the celestial equator.
◆ The northernmost point of the Sun's path, called the summer solstice, lies on the Tropic of Cancer at 23°27′ north latitude.
◆ The southernmost point of the Sun's path, called the winter solstice, lies on the Tropic of Capricorn at 23°27′ south latitude.
Either of the two corresponding moments of the year when the Sun is directly above either the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. The summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 and the winter solstice on December 21 or 22, marking the beginning of summer and winter in the Northern Hemisphere (and the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere). The days on which a solstice falls have the greatest difference of the year between the hours of daylight and darkness, with the most daylight hours at the beginning of summer and the most darkness at the beginning of winter.
Compare equinox
solstice
The two occasions each year when the position of the sun at a given time of day does not seem to change direction. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs around June 21 and is the longest day of the year. The sun stops getting higher in the sky, and the days begin to grow shorter. The winter solstice, which occurs around December 21, is the shortest day. The sun stops getting lower in the sky, and the days begin to grow longer.
Other 51Թ Forms
- solstitial adjective
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of solstice1
Example Sentences
Ten days later on 21 June, it is the summer solstice, the day of the year in the northern hemisphere with most daylight.
The sun reaches the highest point in the sky and therefore its peak strength during June – especially around the summer solstice.
The following year, the festival was held in June to coincide with the summer solstice.
As both sunrise and sunset times extend, the UK will end up with almost 19 hours of daylight in the north of Scotland at the summer solstice on 21 June.
On its orbit around the Sun, that tilt is either towards or away from the Sun at the solstices - which in the northern hemisphere is summer and winter respectively.
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When To Use
A solstice is one of the two times of the year when the positioning and tilt of Earth relative to the sun results in the most amount of daylight time or the least amount of daylight time in a single day.There are two solstices during the year: one that occurs around June 20–22 (usually June 20 or 21) and one that occurs around December 20–23 (usually December 21 or 22).The solstices are traditionally considered to mark the start of summer and winter. But which season begins with each solstice depends on which hemisphere you’re in. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in June and the winter solstice occurs in December. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite.The summer solstice results in the longest day of the year, meaning it has the most time of daylight, and the winter solstice results in the shortest day of the year, meaning it has the longest period of darkness.In contrast, an equinox is one of the two times of the year when the amount of daylight and nighttime hours are just about of equal length. The two equinoxes occur around March 20–21 and September 22–23. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (or spring equinox) occurs in March and the autumnal equinox occurs in September. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite.Example: Many ancient cultures recognized and observed the solstices as times that marked the change of the seasons.
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