Astronomical winter is coming. When the first day of spring comes

Start and end of four seasons different countries Europe and America are counted by two methods - astronomical and calendar. In addition, there are meteorological, phenological and cultural principles for determining the beginning of the seasons of the year.

In Russia, it is customary to count according to the calendar principle, so on March 1 we congratulate us on the first day of spring, and March 8 is considered spring holiday. But if you read the books of American writers, you can notice turns of speech like "it was at the end of winter, March 10." The thing is, it's in the US. In Canada and many European countries, it is customary to count the beginning of the seasons according to the astronomical principle.

According to the astronomical principle, the beginning of the seasons falls on the days of the solstice:

- Spring(March 20 or 21);
- summer(20 or 21 June);
- autumn(September 22 or 23);
- winter(December 21 - 22).

But the solstice different years falls on different days (difference of 1 - 2 days). Therefore, for convenience, in countries where the astronomical method is used, the new season usually starts on the 21st of the corresponding month. Therefore, it is believed that Catholic Christmas is a holiday that falls at the beginning of winter. However, in everyday life, many Europeans use a simpler calendar principle.

This difference in approach often surprises expats and travelers. It must be taken into account when reading national literature (however, translators usually give explanations in footnotes in such cases).

The astronomical approach also explains the reason for the widespread start of summer holidays in Europe at a later time than in Russia. Holiday ends at European countries ah often falls in mid-September, which also corresponds to the end of the main holiday season.

From a meteorological point of view, the astronomical principle for most European countries is closer to the real beginning of the seasons than the calendar one. December, although it is the darkest month of the year, is usually less cold than March (this is due to climatic inertia - the earth, which has accumulated heat, parts with it more slowly than it heats up). The beginning of June is usually cooler than the beginning of September (this is especially noticeable at sea).

But from the point of view of meteorologists and climatologists, there is no exact date for the beginning of the seasons at all! Winter comes at a time when the average daily air temperature, having stepped over 0 C, tends to decrease. Therefore, in Yakutia, for example, winter sets in at the end of September, and in Krasnodar at the beginning of January. And the summer, which comes with the transition from the average daily air temperature of +15 C upwards, does not come at all in some regions of Russia. For example, in Murmansk it happens only in warm years.

In different eras in different countries, the beginning of a particular season was determined according to cultural and religious traditions. In Ireland, for example, August refers to autumn months, according to Celtic traditions. And in Russia, until the 18th century, the seasons were counted in accordance with major holidays: spring came on the Annunciation (March 25) and lasted until the Nativity of John the Baptist (June 24).

Finally, there is also the phenological principle of determining the onset of a new season - according to the behavior of nature. According to this principle, spring will come when thawed patches appear in the field. And it will end - when the wild rose blooms.

What day do you consider the first day of spring? What are the first days of summer, autumn and winter like for you?

The seasons are four periods into which the annual cycle is conditionally divided. The change of seasons is determined by the annual period of the planet's revolution around the Sun and the inclination of the Earth's axis of rotation relative to the orbital plane and, to a small extent, the ellipticity of the orbit.

Distinguish:

calendar seasons- in most countries of the world, the division of the year into four seasons, three calendar months each, is accepted.

Astronomical seasons, which are measured from the points of the solstice (summer, winter) and equinox (spring, autumn).

Phenological seasons. Phenology determines the duration and timing of the beginning of each climatic season in accordance with natural phenomena(using the concept of a season). Each season has its own weather and temperature conditions.

In mid-latitudes, a formal, calendar division of the year into four approximately equal periods is often used.

For example, in most countries northern hemisphere The following start and end dates have been adopted:

The following dates are accepted in the southern hemisphere:

Govrie is a rationalist by nature, more inclined to trust the exact sciences, and within the framework of this issue - astronomy, in particular. It would seem that it is difficult, divide the calendar into 4 equal parts - here you have the exact dates for the beginning and end of the seasons! .. But it wasn’t there!

From the point of view of official science, astronomically the seasons are separated by the moments of the summer solstice, the autumn equinox, winter solstice and spring equinox.

The beginning of the astronomical seasons is taken as the moment of passage of the center of the Sun through the points of equinoxes and solstices. That is, from an astronomical point of view, spring does not begin at all on March 1.

astronomical spring- This is the period from the spring equinox (March 21) to the summer solstice (June 21). Its duration is approximately 92 days 20 hours and 12 minutes.

astronomical summer- This is the period from the summer solstice (June 21) to the autumn equinox (September 23). Its duration is approximately 93 days 14 hours and 24 minutes.

astronomical autumn lasts from the autumn equinox (September 23) to the winter solstice (December 22) for 89 days 18 hours and 42 minutes.

astronomical winter lasts for approximately 89 days and 30 minutes - from the winter solstice (December 22) to the spring equinox (March 21).

"And what's the catch?" - you ask.

With spring and autumn, astronomers decided very convincingly and elegantly. You can’t argue here, it’s true - spring begins on the day from which the duration of daylight hours begins to increase, and autumn, on the contrary, from the day when the duration of daylight hours begins to decrease.

And the catch is that winter, even in the most European Europe and Asian Asia, cannot begin on December 22, and summer - on June 21. December 1 as the conditional beginning of winter and June 1 as the beginning of summer are still all right, but June 21 and December 22, according to Govrie, cannot be considered the first days of these seasons.

Then, what - according to the phenological theory, every year the first day of spring, summer, autumn and winter should be considered different dates, depending on the average daily air temperature reached? Somehow, not human.

And here folk traditions and customs come in very handy.

In Russian Orthodox culture, the first day of summer is considered Nicholas day May 22, and the first day of winter is recognized Veil day, October 14.

In fact, both of these dates are Orthodox holidays, the first of which is associated with the veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, later popularized in Western culture in the person of the Christmas Santa Claus, and the second - with the veneration of the Mother of God, the Virgin.

Among the people, May 22 is known as Nikolin's day and is considered an important agrarian date. On Nikola Veshny, the grass becomes juicy and tall. Horses and cattle were driven out to green pastures. "May will feed the horse." From Nikola begins the mass planting of the main food in peasant houses - potatoes. Blueberries, strawberries, forget-me-nots and bathing suits bloom. Mosquitoes appear from Nikola and summer begins.

In Russia, the feast of the Intercession has long been associated with the beginning of winter, and sayings have been dedicated to it: “On Pokrov, the earth is covered with snow, it is dressed with frost”, “On Pokrov, autumn is in the afternoon, and winter is winter in the afternoon.”

Govrie decided for himself: spring will start from March 21, summer - from May 22, autumn - from September 21, and winter - from October 14.

And for you, what days do spring, summer, autumn and winter begin?

Climatologists believe that winter begins with the transition of the average daily air temperature through zero degrees Celsius downwards. In Russia, this time varies depending on the region: the earliest start of winter is at the end of September (Yakutia), the latest - at the beginning of January ( Krasnodar region). In the Middle lane, the transition of the average daily temperature through zero usually occurs in the second half of November.

The coldest month is usually January (on the sea coasts, due to the fact that the sea has a large temperature inertia, February is often the coldest). According to the new norms of 1981-2010, the coldest month is also February, and not January, as before. Although the most warm month- December, earth atmosphere has inertia, and cooling continues in January.

Winter comes to Russia from the northeast. In Yakutia, in Chukotka and in the north Krasnoyarsk Territory the weather switches to winter mode already in late September - early October. So in Oymyakon, already from August 31 and on any day of September, the average daily temperature can turn out to be negative, in 2001 on September 13 the average daily temperature steadily passed through 0 ° C, in 1962 and 1984 the last thaw for the year was observed on September 22. By the beginning of November, winter sets in throughout the Asian part of the country (except Kuril Islands, Primorye and southern regions Khabarovsk Territory, where the climate is relatively mild due to the proximity of the ocean, as well as the southern coast of Lake Baikal, southern Siberia and the Altai Territory).

In Central Russia, it starts to get significantly colder from mid-autumn (October 14 - the feast of the Intercession Holy Mother of God, it is believed that from this day the weather finally takes a course for the winter). The first severe frosts (up to −5..−7 °C at night) in middle lane Russia usually arrive in the second half of October. Daytime temperatures at this time are still relatively high (up to +15 °C). Around the end of October, snow begins to fall - first wet (along with rain) and in the form of cereals, then (as the temperature drops) only in solid form. At about the same time (the last days of October - the first days of November), the first snow cover is established, shores are formed on the reservoirs (a thin film of ice near the coast), Live nature finally falls into winter suspended animation. At the same time, cold weather is still weak, unstable and alternates with regular thaws, since the peak of Atlantic cyclone activity occurs in the first half of November. This period is called pre-winter. It lasts until about the end of November, when the climatic winter sets in, the temperature becomes steadily negative, and a toboggan path (permanent snow cover) is formed. Sometimes there are deviations from these terms; in some years, winter came either anomalously early (at the end of October, 1993, 2016), or vice versa, anomalously late (at the end of December, 2015; in the middle of January, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2018), or permanent snow cover is not established at all (2008).

The folk calendar, taking natural phenomena as a basis, determines the beginning of winter with the appearance of frosts, and the end - at the beginning of snow melting. According to the phenological seasons of the year, winter includes about 111 days (from November 27 to March 17) and is divided into three sub-seasons:

• first winter ("pre-winter") - 25 days (from November 27 - December 22);
• radical winter ("wilderness") - 55 days (from December 22 - February 15);
• the turning point of winter ("prespring") - 31 days (from February 15 - March 17).

Meteorologists usually divide winter into two types: mild (warm but snowy) and cold.

Folk omens

Rapid thaw - long frost. Winter is dry and cold, summer is dry and hot. If there are blizzards in winter, bad weather in summer. Large frost throughout the winter - summer is hard on health. snowy winter portends good growth herbs. The ring around the sun - to bad weather.

If it is warm in winter, it will be cool in summer. Winter is cold - summer is hot. Snowy winter - rainy summer. Winter is frosty - summer is hot. winter snow deep - in summer the bread is high. Winter without snow, summer without bread. Lots of snow, lots of bread. The snow is deep - the bread is good. Clouds go against the wind - it will snow. Stars shine strongly in winter - to frost. If the windows begin to sweat with double frames - to increased frost. If the forest makes noise in winter, expect a thaw. Cat on the stove - to the cold; cat on the floor - to heat. The bullfinch under the window chirps in winter - to the thaw.

December 21, 2017 at 19:28 Moscow time will be the winter solstice. The sun, moving along the ecliptic, at this moment will reach the most distant position from the celestial equator towards the south pole of the world. In the northern hemisphere of the planet will come astronomical winter and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time, the Northern Hemisphere has the shortest daylight hours and the longest night.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

December 21, the winter solstice, at noon, the lowest position of the Sun above the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth can be observed. For several days before and after the moment of the solstice, the Sun will "hold this height", as if it will stop for a while, which is why they call these days the standings of the Sun.

On the winter solstice, the Sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest, describing the shortest arc in the sky. In Moscow, on the day of the winter solstice on December 21, 2017 The sun will rise above the horizon at 08:57 and set at 15:58, duration daylight hours will be 7 hours. However, after this day, daylight hours will gradually increase.

Beyond the Arctic Circle in these December days, the polar night sets in. Its main feature is that the Sun does not rise above the horizon. For example, the polar night at the latitude of Murmansk lasts 40 days - from December 2 to January 10. Its peak falls on December 21-22. At the North Pole of the Earth, not only the Sun is not visible, but there is no twilight, and the location of the luminary can be found only by the constellations. A completely different picture in the area South Pole Earth - in Antarctica at this time the day lasts around the clock.

For thousands of years, the winter solstice has been great value for all the peoples of our planet who lived in harmony with natural cycles and organized their lives in accordance with them. Most temple structures are oriented specifically to sunrise or sunset on the day of the winter solstice. In Russia, a special rite was associated with the winter solstice. The bell ringer of the Kremlin, who was responsible for the chimes, went to bow to the tsar. He announced that from now on the Sun turned to summer: the day is increasing, and the night is decreasing. As he says folk proverb: "The sun - for the summer, winter - for the frost." In these frosty days our ancestors made gifts to each other, went caroling, jumped over the fire, danced in circles, competed in strength. By the way the day of the winter solstice was, they determined what the harvest would be next year: if there is frost on the trees, then there will be a rich harvest.

Moscow Planetarium
St. Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, 5C1