Question

Bring out the differences between the duration of daytime in the months of June, September and December.

Answer 1

Besides the day of 24 hours (86 400 seconds), the word day is used for several different spans of time based on the rotation of the Earth around its axis. An important one is the solar day, defined as the time it takes for the Sun to return to its culmination point (its highest point in the sky).

Answer 2

The duration of the daytime in the month of June is the longest. In the month of September, the duration of day and night is roughly equal, whereas, the duration of daytime in the month of December is the shortest.

Explanation:

• Based on the axial tilt of the Earth, the duration of daytime keeps on changing throughout the year.
• 22nd June is observed to have the longest daytime duration of all the days in the year. On this day, the north pole is facing the sun and is inclined towards it at 23.5°.
• September 22nd is observed as Autumnal Equinox. On this day, the duration of the night and the day are equal.
• The 22nd day of December is recognized as the shortest day of the year (i.e. in the northern hemisphere).