Solstice
Updated: 12/11/2025, 3:23:43 PM Wikipedia source
A solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around 20–22 June and 20–22 December. In many countries, the seasons of the year are defined by reference to the solstices and the equinoxes. The term solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the day when this occurs. For locations not too close to the equator or the poles, the dates with the longest and shortest periods of daylight are the summer and winter solstices, respectively. Terms with no ambiguity as to which hemisphere is the context are "June solstice" and "December solstice", referring to the months in which they take place every year.
Tables
UT date and time of equinoxes and solstices on Earth[1][2]
month
month
event
month
equinox
March
equinox
June
solstice
September
solstice
December
year
year
event
year
equinox
day
equinox
time
solstice
day
solstice
time
equinox
day
equinox
time
solstice
day
solstice
time
2020
2020
event
2020
equinox
20
equinox
03:50
solstice
20
solstice
21:43
equinox
22
equinox
13:31
solstice
21
solstice
10:03
2021
2021
event
2021
equinox
20
equinox
09:37
solstice
21
solstice
03:32
equinox
22
equinox
19:21
solstice
21
solstice
15:59
2022
2022
event
2022
equinox
20
equinox
15:33
solstice
21
solstice
09:14
equinox
23
equinox
01:04
solstice
21
solstice
21:48
2023
2023
event
2023
equinox
20
equinox
21:25
solstice
21
solstice
14:58
equinox
23
equinox
06:50
solstice
22
solstice
03:28
2024
2024
event
2024
equinox
20
equinox
03:07
solstice
20
solstice
20:51
equinox
22
equinox
12:44
solstice
21
solstice
09:20
2025
2025
event
2025
equinox
20
equinox
09:01
solstice
21
solstice
02:42
equinox
22
equinox
18:19
solstice
21
solstice
15:03
2026
2026
event
2026
equinox
20
equinox
14:46
solstice
21
solstice
08:25
equinox
23
equinox
00:06
solstice
21
solstice
20:50
2027
2027
event
2027
equinox
20
equinox
20:25
solstice
21
solstice
14:11
equinox
23
equinox
06:02
solstice
22
solstice
02:43
2028
2028
event
2028
equinox
20
equinox
02:17
solstice
20
solstice
20:02
equinox
22
equinox
11:45
solstice
21
solstice
08:20
2029
2029
event
2029
equinox
20
equinox
08:01
solstice
21
solstice
01:48
equinox
22
equinox
17:37
solstice
21
solstice
14:14
2030
2030
event
2030
equinox
20
equinox
13:51
solstice
21
solstice
07:31
equinox
22
equinox
23:27
solstice
21
solstice
20:09
| event | equinox | solstice | equinox | solstice | ||||
| month | March | June | September | December | ||||
| year | day | time | day | time | day | time | day | time |
| 2020 | 20 | 03:50 | 20 | 21:43 | 22 | 13:31 | 21 | 10:03 |
| 2021 | 20 | 09:37 | 21 | 03:32 | 22 | 19:21 | 21 | 15:59 |
| 2022 | 20 | 15:33 | 21 | 09:14 | 23 | 01:04 | 21 | 21:48 |
| 2023 | 20 | 21:25 | 21 | 14:58 | 23 | 06:50 | 22 | 03:28 |
| 2024 | 20 | 03:07 | 20 | 20:51 | 22 | 12:44 | 21 | 09:20 |
| 2025 | 20 | 09:01 | 21 | 02:42 | 22 | 18:19 | 21 | 15:03 |
| 2026 | 20 | 14:46 | 21 | 08:25 | 23 | 00:06 | 21 | 20:50 |
| 2027 | 20 | 20:25 | 21 | 14:11 | 23 | 06:02 | 22 | 02:43 |
| 2028 | 20 | 02:17 | 20 | 20:02 | 22 | 11:45 | 21 | 08:20 |
| 2029 | 20 | 08:01 | 21 | 01:48 | 22 | 17:37 | 21 | 14:14 |
| 2030 | 20 | 13:51 | 21 | 07:31 | 22 | 23:27 | 21 | 20:09 |
Names of the equinoxes and solstices · Cultural aspects › English names
0°
0°
Ls
0°
By date
(Gregorian calendar)
March equinox
By sun position
(subsolar point)
Northward equinox
By season
(Northern Hemisphere)
Vernal (spring) equinox
By season
(Southern Hemisphere)
Autumnal (fall) equinox
90°
90°
Ls
90°
By date
(Gregorian calendar)
June solstice
By sun position
(subsolar point)
Northern solstice
By season
(Northern Hemisphere)
Estival (summer) solstice
By season
(Southern Hemisphere)
Hibernal (winter) solstice
180°
180°
Ls
180°
By date
(Gregorian calendar)
September equinox
By sun position
(subsolar point)
Southward equinox
By season
(Northern Hemisphere)
Autumnal (fall) equinox
By season
(Southern Hemisphere)
Vernal (spring) equinox
270°
270°
Ls
270°
By date
(Gregorian calendar)
December solstice
By sun position
(subsolar point)
Southern solstice
By season
(Northern Hemisphere)
Hibernal (winter) solstice
By season
(Southern Hemisphere)
Estival (summer) solstice
| Ls | By date (Gregorian calendar) | By sun position (subsolar point) | By season (Northern Hemisphere) | By season (Southern Hemisphere) |
| 0° | March equinox | Northward equinox | Vernal (spring) equinox | Autumnal (fall) equinox |
| 90° | June solstice | Northern solstice | Estival (summer) solstice | Hibernal (winter) solstice |
| 180° | September equinox | Southward equinox | Autumnal (fall) equinox | Vernal (spring) equinox |
| 270° | December solstice | Southern solstice | Hibernal (winter) solstice | Estival (summer) solstice |
References
- USNOhttps://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/Earth_Seasons
- AstroPixels.comhttp://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/soleq2001.html
- Équinoxe de printemps entre 1583 et 2999http://www.imcce.fr/newsletter/docs/Equinoxe_printemps_1583_2999.pdf
- Solstice d’été de 1583 à 2999http://www.imcce.fr/newsletter/docs/Solstice_ete_1583_2999.pdf
- Équinoxe d’automne de 1583 à 2999http://www.imcce.fr/newsletter/docs/Equinoxe_automne_1583_2999.pdf
- Solstice d’hiverhttp://www.imcce.fr/newsletter/docs/Solstice_hiver_1583_2999.pdf
- "The Summer and Winter Solstices"https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/summer-and-winter-solstices
- Merriam-Websterhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solstice#did-you-know
- OEDhttps://www.oed.com/dictionary/solstice_n?tab=factsheet#21683609
- OEDhttps://www.oed.com/dictionary/sunstead_n?tab=meaning_and_use
- OEDhttps://www.oed.com/dictionary/sunstay_n?tab=factsheet#19993600
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Languagehttps://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=solstice
- The Principle of relativity was first applied to inertial frames of reference by Albert Einstein. Before then, the conce
- "A Solargraph taken from APEX at Chajnantor"http://eso.org/public/images/potw1039a/
- The American Practical Navigator: an Epitome of Navigationhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160208021807/http://msi.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/NAV_PUBS/APN/Chapt-15.pdf
- The Geography
- The Geography
- Strabo II.5.2., "aplaneis asteres kata parallēlōn pherontai kuklōn", "the fixed stars are borne in parallel circles"
- Strabo II.5.2, "ho di'autēs (gē) aksōn kai tou ouranou mesou tetagmenos", "the axis through it (the Earth) extending thr
- Cleomedes' Lectures on Astronomy: A Translation of The Heavenshttps://archive.org/details/kleomedouskyklik00cleo
- The Essential Guide to Practical Astrologyhttp://google.com/books?id=DOfnC5vAff4C&pg=PA284
- Astronomy Essentialshttp://google.com/books?id=wwsqvLL10KEC&pg=PA35
- A new manual of the elements of astronomy, descriptive and mathematical: comprising the latest discoveries and theoretic views : with directions for the use of the globes, and for studying the constellationshttp://google.com/books?id=NkwAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA82
- ICSE Geographyhttp://google.com/books?id=s4SdkMyKHNUC&pg=PA25
- A Compendium of ModernGeographyhttp://google.com/books?id=Y3QDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA383
- "Visitors Guide to the Woodhenge"https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051732/http://greatriverroad.com/somadco/collins/woodhenge.htm
- "Welcome the Fall Equinox at Cahokia Mounds"https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.14832.html
- "Winter Solstice Sunrise Observance at Cahokia Mounds"http://www.discovercollinsville.com/events/details/winter-solstice-sunrise-observance-at-cahokia-mounds-3895
- Indian Country Todayhttps://web.archive.org/web/20171222052220/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/travel/destinations/spring-equinox-cahokia-mounds/
- "Solstice Determination based on Observations"https://web.archive.org/web/20090211044959/http://sundial.thai-isan-lao.com/solstice-determination.html
- Journal of History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy Supplementhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992JHAS...23...57E
- Journal for the History of Astronomyhttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001JHA....32..154T
- Astronomical Algorithmshttps://archive.org/details/astronomicalalgo00meeu
- "December solstice"https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice.html
- "June solstice"https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/june-solstice.html
- Mathematical astronomy morsels