solstices

(noun)

Either of the two times in the year (summer and winter) when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon.

Related Terms

Examples of solstices in the following topics:

  • Eratosthenes' Experiment

    • At precisely noon on the solstices the shadow of that masses fell directly to the well bottom, in near-perfect alignment with the rays of sunlight.
    • Elsewhere at noon (on days near the summer solstice) were one to look into the well one would see the full blinding reflection of rays of sunlight.
    • The sketch shows the angle of the rays at Aswan (zero degrees at noon on the say of summer solstice).

  • Neolithic Monuments

    • Its alignments with the sunrise of the summer solstice and sunset of the winter solstice present the possibility that the site might have also served as a rudimentary astronomical calendar to help early agrarian societies in the area acclimate to the approaching growing season and harvest.
    • There is no agreement as to what the site was used for, but it has been speculated that it had some form of religious significance due to its alignment with the rising sun which floods the stone room with light on the winter solstice.

  • Architecture of the Early Dynastic Period

    • Ancient Egyptian temples were aligned with astronomically significant events like solstices and equinoxes, requiring precise measurements at the moment of the particular event.

  • Elements of Nature

    • One famous example is Stonehenge , which is famous for its astronomical alignment particularly at the solstice.

  • Ancient Egyptian Monuments

    • Ancient Egyptian architects carefully planned buildings, aligning them with astronomically significant events, such as solstices and equinoxes.

  • Bronze Age Advancements in Metallurgy

    • Two golden arcs along the sides, marking the angle between the solstices, were added later.

  • Religion in the Inca Empire

    • It was considered the most important festival of the year and is still celebrated on the winter solstice in Cusco today.

  • Ancient Egyptian Art

    • Architects carefully planned buildings, aligning them with astronomically significant events, such as solstices and equinoxes, and used mainly sun-baked mud brick, limestone, sandstone, and granite.

  • Dates and Calendars

    • The motivation for the reform was to stop the drift of the calendar with respect to the equinoxes and solstices—particularly the vernal equinox, which set the date for Easter celebrations.