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solstitial
[sol-stish-uhl, sohl-]
adjective
of or relating to a solstice or the solstices.
a solstitial point.
occurring at or about the time of a solstice.
characteristic of the summer solstice.
Other Word Forms
- solstitially adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of solstitial1
Example Sentences
The solstitial alignment helps to calibrate the calendar and any errors would be easily detectable as the sun would be in the wrong place during the biannual event.
Stonehenge, an ancient neolithic monument, aligns with the midwinter sunset and midsummer sunrise solstitial axis, making it the perfect destination for revelers who can’t wait celebrate ancient rituals and party sun worshippers.
England Heritage explained to BBC why so many people travel to Stonehenge to celebrate: “One of the most important and well-known features of Stonehenge is its alignment on the midwinter sunset-midsummer sunrise solstitial axis,” a spokesperson said.
"One of the most important and well-known features of Stonehenge is its alignment on the midwinter sunset-midsummer sunrise solstitial axis," a spokesman for the organisation said.
Now we can see how the utmost care and attention was devoted to ensuring the pristine appearance of Stonehenge for those completing their final approach to the monument along the solstitial axis.
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When To Use
Solstitial is an adjective that’s used to describe things related to the solstice or things that occur around the time of the solstice. A solstice is one of the two times of the year when the positioning and tilt of Earth relative to the sun results in the most amount of daylight time or the least amount of daylight time in a single day.There are two solstices during the year: one that occurs around June 20–22 (usually June 20 or 21) and one that occurs around December 20–23 (usually December 21 or 22).These solstitial points are traditionally considered to mark the start of summer and winter. But which season begins with each solstice depends on which hemisphere you’re in. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs in June and the winter solstice occurs in December. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite.The summer solstice results in the longest day of the year, meaning it has the most time of daylight, and the winter solstice results in the shortest day of the year, meaning it has the longest period of darkness.In contrast, an equinox is one of the two times of the year when the amount of daylight and nighttime hours are just about of equal length. The two equinoxes occur around March 20–21 and September 22–23. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (or spring equinox) occurs in March and the autumnal equinox occurs in September. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite.Solstitial is sometimes used in a more specific way to describe something that’s characteristic of the summer solstice, especially summer heat, as in The lush vegetation thrives in the solstitial conditions. Example: Many ancient cultures recognized and observed the solstitial points of the year as times that marked the change of the seasons.
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