While the words might trigger similar thoughts of fancy fitness establishments and cycling classes, there’s a real difference between solstice and equinox and neither of them have anything to do with physical fitness. Each year, there are two solstices and two equinoxes and while they both signify a change of season, the two are incredibly different — opposites, even.
An equinox is an event that happens twice a year. The word “equinox” actually comes from a Latin term meaning “equal night.” That’s because during an equinox, it’s believed that all areas of the Earth’s surface experience an equal amount of daylight and darkness — 12 hours each. That’s easy to remember, right? In autumn, the equinox (Sept. 21) is in the northern hemisphere, and in spring, the equinox (Mar. 20 or Mar. 21 — it varies from year to year) is in the southern hemisphere. So, the equinoxes are the times of the year where the part of the Earth closest to the sun is the exact equator. So when everything is aligned, everywhere from the North Pole to the South Pole will get the same amount of sunlight — but only on those two, equinoxes, in September and March — the exact dates of which, might change up to three days, depending on year.
Picture Credit : Google
