Solstice and Equinox Dates
The exact moment each season turns, 2024–2036, converted to your time zone.
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2026 at a glance
| Event | Northern Hemisphere | Date & time (US Eastern) | UTC |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Spring begins | Friday, March 20, 2026, 10:46 AM | 2:46 PM |
| June solstice | Summer begins · longest day | Sunday, June 21, 2026, 4:25 AM | 8:25 AM |
| September equinox | Fall begins | Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 8:06 PM | Sep 23 12:06 AM |
| December solstice | Winter begins · shortest day | Monday, December 21, 2026, 3:50 PM | 8:50 PM |
Agrees with the US Naval Observatory’s 2026 Earth’s seasons table to within a minute. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed.
Drag the seasons
your hemisphere tilts toward the Sun: long days, high Sun.
Earth’s axis stays tilted 23.44° toward the same point in space all year. As we orbit, first one hemisphere and then the other leans sunward. The Sun’s declination is where that lean puts the Sun overhead: +23.44° (Tropic of Cancer) at the June solstice, 0° at the equinoxes, −23.44° in December.
All solstices and equinoxes 2024–2036
| Year | March equinox | June solstice | September equinox | December solstice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mar 19 11:06 PM | Jun 20 4:51 PM | Sep 22 8:44 AM | Dec 21 4:20 AM |
| 2025 | Mar 20 5:01 AM | Jun 20 10:42 PM | Sep 22 2:20 PM | Dec 21 10:03 AM |
| 2026 | Mar 20 10:46 AM | Jun 21 4:25 AM | Sep 22 8:06 PM | Dec 21 3:50 PM |
| 2027 | Mar 20 4:25 PM | Jun 21 10:11 AM | Sep 23 2:01 AM | Dec 21 9:42 PM |
| 2028 | Mar 19 10:17 PM | Jun 20 4:02 PM | Sep 22 7:45 AM | Dec 21 3:20 AM |
| 2029 | Mar 20 4:02 AM | Jun 20 9:48 PM | Sep 22 1:38 PM | Dec 21 9:14 AM |
| 2030 | Mar 20 9:52 AM | Jun 21 3:31 AM | Sep 22 7:27 PM | Dec 21 3:10 PM |
| 2031 | Mar 20 3:41 PM | Jun 21 9:17 AM | Sep 23 1:15 AM | Dec 21 8:56 PM |
| 2032 | Mar 19 9:22 PM | Jun 20 3:09 PM | Sep 22 7:11 AM | Dec 21 2:56 AM |
| 2033 | Mar 20 3:23 AM | Jun 20 9:01 PM | Sep 22 12:52 PM | Dec 21 8:45 AM |
| 2034 | Mar 20 9:17 AM | Jun 21 2:44 AM | Sep 22 6:40 PM | Dec 21 2:34 PM |
| 2035 | Mar 20 3:03 PM | Jun 21 8:33 AM | Sep 23 12:39 AM | Dec 21 8:31 PM |
| 2036 | Mar 19 9:03 PM | Jun 20 2:32 PM | Sep 22 6:24 AM | Dec 21 2:13 AM |
Why the dates wander
A tropical year is about 365.2422 days, so each season arrives roughly 5 h 49 min later than the year before, then jumps back almost a day after each February 29. That is why the June solstice falls on June 20 in some years and June 21 in others, and why in US time zones the December solstice can land on the 21st or 22nd. The Gregorian calendar’s rule of skipping leap years in most century years keeps the drift in check over the long run.
Solstice and equinox questions
When is the summer solstice 2026?
The June solstice is Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 4:25 AM EDT (8:25 AM UTC): the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and first day of astronomical summer.
When is the winter solstice 2026?
The December solstice is Monday, December 21, 2026 at 3:50 PM EST (8:50 PM UTC), the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
When is the first day of fall 2026?
Astronomical autumn begins with the September equinox on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 8:06 PM EDT (September 23, 2026 at 12:06 AM UTC). Meteorologists start fall on September 1.
When is the spring equinox 2027?
The March equinox is Saturday, March 20, 2027 at 4:25 PM EDT (8:25 PM UTC).
Are day and night exactly equal on the equinox?
Not quite. Because sunrise and sunset are timed from the top edge of the Sun and the atmosphere bends light over the horizon, day is several minutes longer than night on the equinox. The day of truly equal day and night, the “equilux”, comes a few days before the March equinox and after the September one.