Solstices

Solstices are points along the path of the sun's apparent orbit (also known as the ecliptic) that, when viewed from a point on Earth, mark where the sun is at its farthest from the extension of Earth's equator across the night sky, also known as the celestial equator. The term solstice literally means “sun stoppage” due to the apparently long day.

During the summer solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun appears at its farthest point above the celestial equator; that is, it is at its “highest” in the sky. The exact time of this astronomical phenomenon varies, as the calendar year does not perfectly match the solar year. Hence, although the summer solstice usually falls on June 21 or 22, the specific date does not always correspond to the longest day of the year (for those residing in the Northern Hemisphere). With each year, the solstice drifts 6 hrs. (hours; a fourth of a day, since the solar year is actually 365.25 days long). For those residing in the Southern Hemisphere, the same constraint also applies, although there is the additional confusion that during the Northern summer solstice, the sun is farthest below the celestial equator, and it is thus the Southern winter solstice at this time, during which they have their shortest day, or alternatively, the longest night, of [Page 2597]the year. The exact opposite scenario occurs on December 21 or 22, with the Northern Hemisphere experiencing its longest period of night and the Southern Hemisphere experiencing its longest period of daylight. The effect is amplified with increasing degrees of latitude, with the equator experiencing the least amount of variation in daylight and the poles the greatest during the respective solstices. Within the equatorial astronomical coordinate system, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere corresponds with a right ascension of 6 hrs. and a declination of 23.5°, which places the sun within the Tropic of Cancer during this period. During the winter solstice, the sun is within the Tropic of Capricorn, with a declination of −23.5° and a right ascension of 18 hrs.

Stonehenge attracts some 800,000 visitors a year, and on the summer solstice, thousands of people gather to watch the sunrise.

Source: Morguefile.

In many European cultures of antiquity, the summer solstice was regarded as midsummer and celebrated with festivals. Contemporary Europe still maintains some aspects of midsummer festivals, notably in Ireland and Scandinavia. The primary motive for these celebrations derives from the solstice's relation to the onset of the fall harvest, since it has long been observed as the point at which day length maximizes and then begins to wane into autumn. (However, in American popular culture, it is commonly regarded as the “beginning of summer.”) The solstice is celebrated with festivals by Christian communities throughout the world as “St. John's Day” if celebrated on June 24 or “St. John's Eve” if celebrated the night before; however, neither is this day technically the longest day of the year, nor can it be traced historically to any aspect of the life of John the Baptist. The specific commemoration of John refers to the close association of the opposite solstice, on December 21 or 22, with Christmas, which has been refigured as the birthday of Jesus. The theologically inspired argument is that John the Baptist heralds the coming of Jesus Christ, hence his holiday should come before. In this respect, though the winter solstice is commonly regarded as “the beginning of winter” in most Christian-majority countries (though astronomically, it signals the beginning of increasing amounts of daylight), it is overshadowed by the Christmas holidays that occur several days later. The close association is not coincidental, as early Church officials [Page 2598]deliberately sought ways to incorporate pagan holidays into the Christian belief system.

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