- A. The Longest Day
- B. The Shortest Day
- C. A & B
- D. Equal Duration of
Day and Night
The Correct Answer is: D
Explanation
An equinox (pronounced ee-kwuh-noks or eh-kwuh-noks) refers to two specific times each year when the day and night are roughly equal in length everywhere on Earth. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Daylight and Nighttime: During equinoxes, the Sun crosses the equator, meaning the day and night are approximately equal in duration (around 12 hours each). This occurs because the Sun’s rays are hitting the Earth directly at the equator, and the daylight hours are distributed more evenly across the hemispheres.
Two Equinoxes per Year: There are two equinoxes every year:
Vernal Equinox (Spring Equinox): This occurs around March 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the beginning of spring. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the start of autumn.
Autumnal Equinox (Fall Equinox): This happens around September 22nd or 23rd in the Northern Hemisphere, signifying the beginning of fall. In the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the start of spring.
Why Don’t We Have Exactly 12 Hours of Day and Night During Equinoxes?
While the goal is for day and night to be equal, it’s not always perfectly 12 hours due to a couple of factors:
Refraction: As sunlight enters Earth’s atmosphere, it bends slightly, causing the Sun to appear a little higher in the sky than its actual position. This extends daylight hours slightly.
Daylight Saving Time (DST): If a location observes DST, it can further alter the perceived length of daylight and nighttime during equinoxes.
Overall, equinoxes represent a turning point in the seasons, with the Sun’s position relative to the Earth’s equator leading to a more balanced distribution of daylight hours across the globe.
If you think there is any confusion in given MCQS You can comment.
Drop of Change Academy is Pakistan No.1 online Plate form to prepare all types of Exams including PPSC, FPSC, KPSC, SPSC, Ministry of Defence, And for all one paper MCQS , Pedagogy MCQS, docmcqs general knowledge MCQS, current affair MCQS and alot more