Equinox and Solstice

Have you ever wondered just exactly what an equinox and a solstice are? We mark these points four times a year: on or near March 21 for the Spring (or Vernal) Equinox; and on or near September 23 for the Fall (or Autumnal Equinox). The Summer Solstice happens on or near June 21, and the Winter Solstice occurs on or near December 21.

These four points correlate with 0 degrees Aries (Spring Equinox), 0 degrees Cancer (Summer Solstice), 0 degrees Libra (Fall Equinox), and 0 degrees Capricorn (Winter Solstice). And, these four cardinal points, which form a 'Grand Cross' in the zodiac, mark our seasons, with the beginning point being 0 degrees Aries -- better known as the first day of Spring! (In the southern hemisphere, this point marks the first day of Autumn.) At the equinox, the day and night are considered to be equal, or near equal, in length. The term comes from the Latin 'aequus' which means 'equal.'

The equinoxes occur when the Sun is directly over the Earth's equator, while the solstices are marked when the Sun reaches its northernmost and southernmost extremes at the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This is when the tilt of the earth's axis is oriented away from the Sun. The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are the two imaginary lines, or circles of latitude, around the earth with the Tropic of Cancer being approximately 23 degrees and 26 minutes north of the equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn being the same distance south of the equator.