Solstice

[M Holmes]

J Strobridge writes:

> > To clarify, this record (Gongmaison)was recorded the night of summer solstice
> > of 1989, that means 21/06/89, OK?
> >
>
>
> errrm - no, I think.    The Equinoxes (oxi? oxae?) are on the 21st but
> solstice happens on the 23rd - unless I am much mistook.
>
> FoFP usually knows about these things.....

They seem to vary between the 21st and 23rd. I'd hazard that the
variation would depend on which part of the Leap Year cycle we were in
since it's the Leap Day that kinda resets the clock.

The Equinoxes occur when the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator (i.e has
Declination of zero degrees) and the Solstices occur when the Sun is at
maximum and minimum declination.

Casual usage of the terms tend towards longest day and shortest day for
the solstices and that might be either side of a night when the Sun
crosses the CE which explains one day of the variation. The other day
I'd guess is that by the time we need a Leap Day to reset things we've
functionally shifted the whole thing by an entire day thus explaining
the other day in the variation.

Of course I could be wrong, but that's the best explanation for the
variation that I can come up with.

FoFP