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:

  • Ancient Egyptian Monuments

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.