Astronomical Seasons & Earth Orbit Ephemeris
Equinox & Solstice Calculator
Calculate exact UTC dates and times for vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice across multiple years.
Astronomical Target Year: 2026
Displaying high-precision ephemeris calculations for Earth's four seasonal transitions.
🌱March 20
March Equinox (Vernal)
🌍 Spring begins (Northern Hemisphere)
🌏 Autumn begins (Southern Hemisphere)
The Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward. Day and night are of approximately equal duration globally.
Exact Universal Time (UTC)
Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:40:42 GMT
☀️June 20 - 21
June Solstice (Summer/Winter)
🌍 Summer begins (Northern Hemisphere - Longest Day)
🌏 Winter begins (Southern Hemisphere - Shortest Day)
The Sun reaches its northernmost declination directly over the Tropic of Cancer (23.44° N).
Exact Universal Time (UTC)
Sun, 21 Jun 2026 08:23:55 GMT
🍂September 22 - 23
September Equinox (Autumnal)
🌍 Autumn begins (Northern Hemisphere)
🌏 Spring begins (Southern Hemisphere)
The Sun crosses the celestial equator heading southward. Equal day and night across all latitudes.
Exact Universal Time (UTC)
Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:13:43 GMT
❄️December 21 - 22
December Solstice (Winter/Summer)
🌍 Winter begins (Northern Hemisphere - Shortest Day)
🌏 Summer begins (Southern Hemisphere - Longest Day)
The Sun reaches its southernmost declination directly over the Tropic of Capricorn (23.44° S).
Exact Universal Time (UTC)
Mon, 21 Dec 2026 20:53:51 GMT
Astronomical Seasons vs Meteorological Seasons
Astronomical SeasonsBased on Earth's 23.44° axial tilt and its orbit around the Sun. Seasons begin at the exact moment of the equinoxes (Sun over equator) and solstices (Sun at max northern or southern declination).
Meteorological SeasonsGrouped into full calendar months for climatological consistency and temperature record keeping: Spring (Mar 1 - May 31), Summer (Jun 1 - Aug 31), Autumn (Sep 1 - Nov 30), and Winter (Dec 1 - Feb 28/29).