Have you ever heard of the “shortest day” and “longest day” that occur every year?
On our planet, solstices are biannual phenomena defined by two things: the latitude—an influencing factor of the climate and daylight hours of a place, and a tilt of the Earth—the primary cause for the changing seasons as different parts of the Earth receive different intensities of sunlight.
These characteristics of the Earth contribute to when and where the Sun is positioned straight above at noon at approximately 23.5° twice a year at different points in the Southern and Northern hemispheres. This means that during the solstices, the hemispheres are respectively tilted towards the Sun and receive the Sun’s strongest incident radiation.
The Southern Hemisphere
In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs in June (typically during the 20th-22nd), marking the shortest day of the year with the fewest hours of sunlight, meaning the Sun is at its lowest elevation in the sky.
Additionally, the summer solstice occurs in December (typically during the 21st-23rd), marking the longest day of the year with the most hours of sunlight, meaning the Sun’s rays are at their maximum intensity. During this event in the Southern Hemisphere, the summer solstice is represented by the Tropic of Capricorn, which is the southernmost point where the Sun can be seen directly overhead at noon.
Photo: Gondwana Collection
The Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn is an imaginary line of latitude located 23.5° south of the Equator, also known as the Southern Hemisphere. It plays a vital role in contributing to marking the limits of the Earth’s tropics and has a significant impact on climate and daylight variations in the hemisphere.
Tropic of Capricorn in Namibia
The Tropic of Capricorn line passes through the Erongo, Khomas, Hardap, and Omaheke regions.
There are two Tropic of Capricorn signs in Namibia:
- A sign is located on the C14 road between the Kuiseb and Gaub passes and about an hour north of Solitaire.
- Another sign is located on the B1 road approximately 24km south of Rehoboth.
Photo: Kellie Paxian
For many years, the Tropic of Capricorn signs have been a popular destination for many travelers from all around the world.
Fascinated by this phenomenon related to the Earth revolving around the Sun? Take a leap and explore this part of Namibia!
For those driving on the C14 road, our closest properties are in Swakopmund to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as the Namib to the south.
And on the B1 road, our closest properties are around Windhoek to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as in the Kalahari to the south.
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