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See chart below to see when seasons begin for 2012 and 2013—namely, the spring or vernal equinox, summer solstice, fall or autumnal equinox, and winter solstice.
The four seasons are determined by changing sunlight (not heat!)—which is determined by how our planet orbits the Sun and the tilt of its axis.
- On the first day of spring—the vernal equinox—day and night are each approximately 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days before the vernal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going northward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west. See our First Day of Spring page!
-
The first day of summer—the summer solstice—is the longest day of the year, the Sun reaches its most northern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting shorter. See our First Day of Summer page!
-
On the first day of fall—the autumnal equinox—day and night are each about 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days after the autumnal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west. See our First Day of Fall page!
- The start of winter—the winter solstice—is the shortest day of the year, when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting longer. See our First Day of Winter page!
| Seasons of 2012: | |
|---|---|
| SPRING EQUINOX | March 20, 1:14 A.M. EDT |
| SUMMER SOLSTICE | June 20, 7:09 P.M. EDT |
| FALL EQUINOX | September 22, 10:49 A.M. EDT |
| WINTER SOLSTICE | December 21, 6:12 A.M. EST |
| Seasons of 2013: | |
|---|---|
| SPRING EQUINOX | March 20, 7:02 A.M. EDT |
| SUMMER SOLSTICE | June 21, 1:04 A.M. EDT |
| FALL EQUINOX | September 22, 4:44 P.M. EDT |
| WINTER SOLSTICE | December 21, 12:11 P.M. EST |
Credit: NASA 
Comments
I have a fairly simple
I have a fairly simple question.
Does the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere occur at the same time as the summer solstice in the Southern hemisphere?
If there is a lag in the exact time, is that lag due to the "wobble" of the Earth on it's axis?
Enquiring minds wander...
yug...
Hi All, It is my
Hi All,
It is my understanding that the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere occur at the same point in time. However, local time, due to time zones, will vary. At the December solstice, Earth reaches a spot in its orbit such that its northern axis points the farthest away from the Sun (Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees away from an upright position). The timing of this event is not dependent on where you are on Earth (such as a sunrise would be). However, the local time will change. Astronomers often list these events in Universal Time (UT), which is tied in to the time at Greenwich, England (0 degree longitude). From there, we need to convert to our local time.
Sometimes, the seasons occur near midnight. Therefore, as the event gets translated into local time, it may occur on one of two days (late evening of one day or early morning of the next day). This situation is happening for the December solstice in 2011. In Universal Time, the December solstice occurs on December 22 at the 5th hour 30th minute. In Eastern Standard Time, this is 12:30 am on December 22. However, in Central Time, this is December 21 at 11:30 pm; Mountain Standard is December 21 at 10:30 pm; Pacific Standard is December 21 at 9:30 pm, etc.
Hope this helps!
Heidi Stonehill
The Old Farmer's Almanac
A good question. Perhaps some
A good question. Perhaps some Australians can help
It would appear that the
It would appear that the Solstice occurs this year on both the 21st and the 22nd -- depending on your time zone -- am I wrong?
I cherish the Almanac with
I cherish the Almanac with all my heart. Each day goes by and I dream of the magnificence of the book. I read from it daily, and hold it my arms dearly. Next to my night stand always lays a bottle of lotion, a bottle of wine, and the Almanac.
Ooops. my bad ;0
Ooops. my bad ;0
Happy Autumnal Equinox 2011.
Happy Autumnal Equinox 2011. After Spring, Fall is my fave time of year. Love the smell of the fresh air as the temps change.
Love the Almanac ,too. From the time I was about 13 my Mom always made sure Santa put a copy of the Almanac in my Xmas stocking. Always something interesting to learn. Since my parents have moved on to the 'next realm' I make sure to get myself an Almanac for Xmas every year. It gets picked up by everyone that stops by over the holidays.
I am releasing the last day
I am releasing the last day of summer.
- Glenn Davis Doctor G
I always look at the almanac
I always look at the almanac to help me figure out when I'm going to plant my vegetable garden each year. It is something that my grandmother taught me to do to get the most out of the gardening season. I've even planted my vegetables in pots before the season starts so that I can transplant them outside and get a head start.
The Almanac sits near our
The Almanac sits near our couch and is viewed often and by many... Thanks So Much