From The Old Farmer's Almanac: Sign up to receive a FREE guide (A $4.95 value!) plus updates from Almanac.com.
Print
EmailSee chart below to see the exact dates and times for the first day of each season in 2013—namely, the summer solstice, fall or autumnal equinox, winter solstice, and spring or vernal equinox.
Why do the seasons change? The four seasons are determined by shifting sunlight (not heat!)—which is determined by how our planet orbits the Sun and the tilt of its axis.
-
The first day of summer—the summer solstice—is the longest day of the year, the Sun reaches its most northern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting shorter. See our First Day of Summer page!
-
On the first day of fall—the autumnal equinox—day and night are each about 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days after the autumnal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west. See our First Day of Fall page!
-
The start of winter—the winter solstice—is the shortest day of the year, when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting longer. See our First Day of Winter page!
-
On the first day of spring—the vernal equinox—day and night are each approximately 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days before the vernal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going northward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west. See our First Day of Spring page!
Credit: NASASeasons of 2013: SPRING EQUINOX March 20, 7:02 A.M. EDT SUMMER SOLSTICE June 21, 1:04 A.M. EDT FALL EQUINOX September 22, 4:44 P.M. EDT WINTER SOLSTICE December 21, 12:11 P.M. EST Seasons of 2014: SPRING EQUINOX March 20, 12:57 P.M. EDT SUMMER SOLSTICE June 21, 6:51 A.M. EDT FALL EQUINOX September 22, 10:29 P.M. EDT WINTER SOLSTICE December 21, 6:03 P.M. EST -
Comments
As you've noticed, the winter
As you've noticed, the winter season spans the end of one year and the beginning of the next in the Gregorian calendar. December 21, 2012, at 6:12 am EST starts the first day of winter 2012/2013 (often just listed as winter 2012). Winter 2013/2014 (winter 2013) would begin on December 21, 2013, at 12:11 pm EST.
In astronomy, each year in the Northern Hemisphere can be defined as beginning with the spring (vernal) equinox in March. The summer solstice occurs in June, the autumnal equinox in September, and the winter solstice in December. Astronomically speaking, in the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is defined as when the Sun reaches its greatest declination (23-1/2 degrees) south of the celestial equator, around December 21. So, winter 2012 marks the time when the first day of winter begins for 2012/2013. It's the time when the Sun reaches its southernmost declination for the year 2012.
If December 21st is the first
If December 21st is the first day of Winter, why has it been referred to as Midwinter through the centuries? Is December 21st (or 20th, as it varies) not the point in time when the days are the shortest, with the next day being the time when the days begin to lengthen? And would this not, in turn, dictate that Winter proper actually begins in November? Would it not have to follow that Midsummer/Summer Solstice marks the high point of the Sun's energy and, after this, the shortening of our annual cycle of daylight hours through until the Midwinter/Winter Solstice, when the days begin to lengthen once again? If so, how could the Summer Solstice possibly be the beginning of Summer or the Winter Solstice possibly be the beginning of Winter?
The Celts divided the year into two major halves, Winter and Summer, with the cross-quarter events being the Spring Equinox and the Autumnal Equinox. The year began on November 1st, the beginning of Winter. Midwinter was genuinely the middle of Winter, ending on the Spring Equinox as Winter began to wane and the foliage bloomed. Summer officially began on May 1st, as by this time the growing season was in full swing, with the last vestiges of the Winter season behind us. Midsummer, the longest day, was the beginning of the waning cycle, as Summer began to move toward Winter. The Autumnal Equinox (generally the approximate harvest time) marked the manifestation of the seasonal changes preceeding Winter's arrival, again on November 1st. Since agriculture was the dominant industry, this reflected the agrarian/astronomical calendar cycle, which was the basis for our modern calendars.
I've addressed this before, and am still perplexed as to why anyone would insist on referring to the Winter and Summer solstices as the beginning of their respective seasons, when they clearly are not at all.
These MID-Summer and MID-Winter designations are the correct astronimical divisions of the year, as they are based on the actual effect of the solar cycle on the Earth's seasons.
I realise there are all these newer ideologies and theories on when the seasons begin and end (meteorlogical, temperature and regional variances, etc.), but the fact remains that Midsummer and Midwinter are precisely that-- the middle of these seasons, and not by any means the beginning. (Unless, of course, the Sun is wrong in his astronomical movements, and if so someone had better inform him.)
Yes, the definition of when a
Yes, the definition of when a season begins can vary between countries, cultures, organizations, and individuals. For example, the ancient Celts considered equinoxes and solstices (called quarter days) as the midway points of the seasons. Their cross-quarter days (halfway between quarter days) were the beginning of the seasons. Astronomically speaking, however, the seasons begin at the equinoxes and solstices, which define four unique points along Earth’s orbit, in which the Northern or Southern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun (summer), away from the Sun (winter), or is neutral--neither leaning toward nor away from the Sun (spring, autumn).
An astronomical definition does not directly take into account what is going on within Earth’s atmosphere. Other definitions focus on how the Sun’s intensity (energy) or heat affects the surface. A meteorological definition of seasons, for example, often is based on temperature. An international meteorological definition separates the year into groups of three months: March 1 is the beginning of spring; June 1 starts summer; September 1, autumn; and December 1, winter. However, days of greatest warmth and cold (on average), or length of season, can vary by region depending on their proximity to water, latitude, prevailing winds, etc.
Other seasonal definitions take into account annual responses by plants and animals. Or, define the seasons according to religious or cultural criteria.
For The Old Farmer’s Almanac, because we are a calendar of the heavens, we officially use the astronomical definition. But, we certainly agree that there is more than one way to define when the seasons begin.
does every season being on
does every season being on every full moon
No. As mentioned in the
No. As mentioned in the article above, the first day of the season is determined by how our planet orbits the Sun and the tilt of its axis.
Used to love the
Used to love the Almanac...but it got too full of ad nonsense and yuppie eco-fashionista fluff pieces. I prefer my favorite small town cafe for the real news of the seasons.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has
The Old Farmer's Almanac has not really changed in over 220 years. Hope you will check it out again and see that it is remarkably similar from cover to calendar pages.
I agree, the Old Farmer's
I agree, the Old Farmer's Almanac has maintained a consistent style throughout it's many decades of publication, and it is an indispensible tool for those of us who prefer to plant by the Moon, just as crucial as any hoe or sickle. (I only wish they'd correct the mis-naming of Summer and Winter Solstices as the beginning of those respective seasons-- they actually fall in the middle of them.)
Due east at the equator.
Due east at the equator. It's always slightly south (or more) north of the tropic of cancer in the northern hemisphere.
Post new comment