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Astronomy & Space vocabulary · The Night Sky & Measurement

Solstice

Meaning in astronomy & space, with examples

/ˈsɑːlstɪs/nounCommon term

In astronomy & space, solstice means: One of the two moments each year, around 21 June and 21 December, when the Sun reaches its highest or lowest midday point in the sky, giving the longest or shortest day.

In Turkish: gündönümü

How it is used

People say 'the summer solstice' and 'the winter solstice'; in the Southern Hemisphere the dates are reversed. To avoid confusion, astronomers prefer 'June solstice' and 'December solstice'.

Example sentences

  1. The summer solstice brings the longest day of the year in Turkey.

  2. After the winter solstice, the days slowly start to get longer.

Common collocations

  • summer solstice
  • winter solstice
  • June solstice
  • December solstice
  • equinoxOne of the two moments each year, around 20 March and 22 September, when the Sun is directly above the equator and day and night are roughly equal everywhere.
  • SunThe star at the centre of our solar system. Its gravity holds the planets in their orbits, and its light and heat make life on Earth possible.
  • orbitThe curved path that an object such as a planet, moon or satellite follows around another object because of gravity. As a verb, it means to move along this path.
  • eclipseAn event in which one body in space blocks the light of another, for example when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, or Earth's shadow falls on the Moon.

More terms: The Night Sky & Measurement

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