What Is Solstice

In the field of studies such as geography, the term solstice refers to either of the two times of a given year wherein the Sun is farthest from the celestial Equator. Even though this definition is absolutely correct, there is a lot more to know about what is solstice than what is defined in it. Did you know that December solstice - at times known as 'winter solstice' in the United States, which marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere, actually marks the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere? Not many people are aware of these solstice facts, and this has resulted in widespread myths about this phenomenon. In order to understand what does solstice mean and how it occurs, you need to get a good understanding of some basic facts about the Sun and the Earth.

What is Solstice?
The driving factors when it comes to occurrence of solstice are Earth's revolution around the Sun and its rotation along its axis, which is tilted at 23.5° - both of which contribute to Sun's apparent position in the sky. Interestingly, these are also the driving factors when it comes to different seasons on the planet. As a result of revolution and rotation of Earth, the Sun is directly overhead at the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn twice in a year. This journey of the Sun can be traced from the equator to the tropic of Cancer at 23.5°North, back to the Equator and then down south to the tropic of Capricorn at 23.5°South over the period of a year. When it reaches its northernmost or southernmost extreme, the Sun appears to stand still for sometime before resuming its journey. This very period when the Sun is still right overhead the tropic of Cancer or tropic of Capricorn is known as solstice. In fact, the term solstice is derived from the combination of two Latin words sol meaning the Sun and sistere meaning to stand still. Similarly when the Sun is right at the Equator, it is referred to as equinox. As a result of the tilted axis of Earth, the areas near... [continues]

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