Solstice. Do you know what the solstice is? Did you know there are two? Does anybody (other than astrophysicists) know what the solstice is? I didn’t. I’ve heard about it all of my life. Yes, I know, winter solstice is the shortest day of our year. December 21 or 22 of each year. Well, that is if we live in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, your shortest day is in June 20 or 21. It means – winter is here!
There seem to be two days of solstice in a year. The one in December and the one in June, when spring becomes summer in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn becomes winter in the Southern Hemisphere; the summer solstice happens around the 20th or 21st of June around here. The June solstice is the longest day of sunshine of our year – the land forms around the North Pole spend the time mostly in daylight or dim light all of the day. In the Southern Hemisphere, their December solstice brings that happening.
I’m still not sure that I understand that. And, to confuse things even more, we have the equinox – two of them – vernal and autumnal. One in March and the other in September. Again, Northern and Southern Hemisphere Equinox causes different happenings. In the North, we are moving from winter to spring; the opposite in the South.
To my astrophysicist-in-training, Grand #1 – where are you when I need you? Maybe, she’ll correct anything I have wrong here. Solstice – Equinox – AGGGH!
The actual moments of these phenomena occur at very specific times; that means different times of day. I’d never attempt to explain that here. Someone else with far more understanding than I has it all figured out and even put it on the web. (Sometimes, that web is a thing of beauty.)
What I do know is that these changes from spring to summer to autumn to winter are events that I appreciate where I live, close to the Rockies. I remember visiting Daughter #1 when she lived in San Diego, CA. I went there in the spring, and there were great flowers on a tree. I went there in summer, and the same flowers were on the same tree. Autumn. Winter. Same things – always the same image – same flowers on the same trees. For me, that tends to be boring. In my part of the country, we get to experience the new blossoms in spring, warmth in the summer, the beauty of the autumn leaves, and the wonderland in the winter. Definitely, my preference for my environment!
There are, of course, those stories about how the only day of the year that a fresh, uncooked egg can be balanced on its end is the equinox – I’m assuming either the spring or autumn equinox. I remember newscasters promoting this story by having an egg on the news desk and balancing it. My reading suggests that that story – of only being able to balance an egg on it’s end at the equinox – isn’t necessarily so. My information is that on any day of the week, any day of the month, any day of the year – equinox or not – an egg can be balanced on its end. Have I tried to do that? No. I only eat egg whites from a carton – so I don’t have fresh eggs in my house.
Here, I must say – I still think I don’t really understand this solstice / equinox thing! Do not take what I’ve said here as “gospel.” If you’re interested in these differences, please do your own research. Search out the experts – I’m certainly not even close to be knowledgeable about them. Actually, I feel that I only really know the words and can spell them!
Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are always appreciated.
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