Solstice Basics

• The earth is titled on its axis by approximately 23.4 degrees. This means that as the earth orbits the sun, the poles will be at different distances and angles to the sun. The result is that the sun appears to move across the sky in a north-south position during the course of the year. The solstices mark the point at which the sun is at its northern and southern most position along this track, representing a pause in its relative motion before it reverses its course. The word comes from the Latin words sol and stitium, literally meaning sun stoppage.