March 21st

By Mutt Mulligan

Equinox versus Solstice ~ What’s the Difference?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the terms equinox and solstice?

The vernal equinox is the official first day of spring while the winter solstice marks the first day of winter. Equinox comes from the Latin term equinoxium or ‘equal’. 

According to Dictionary.com, the equinox is the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, making night and day of approximately equal length all over the earth. This phenomenon happens around March 20/21 and September 22 (autumnal equinox).

The term ‘solstice’ (sōlstitium in Latin) refers to two times a year during which time the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator: June 21, when the sun reaches its northernmost point on the celestial sphere, or about December 22, when it reaches its southernmost point.

But enough academic discourse on the first day of spring. Get outdoors and enjoy the earth on this day of equilibrium!