Which one of the following statements is true about the equinoxes?
A) The length of daylight at the Arctic and Antarctic Circles is 24 hours.
B) Days and nights are equal in length everywhere.
C) The Sun's vertical rays are striking either the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn.
D) They occur in June and December.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

During the equinoxes, days and nights are approximately equal in length everywhere around the world. This occurs because the tilt of the Earth's axis is not pointed towards or away from the Sun, resulting in equal amounts of daylight and darkness. Option A is incorrect because while the Arctic and Antarctic Circles experience 24-hour daylight during the summer solstice, they do not experience this during the equinoxes. Option C is incorrect because the Sun's vertical rays are only striking directly overhead at either the Tropic of Cancer during the summer solstice or the Tropic of Capricorn during the winter solstice. Option D is incorrect because the equinoxes occur in March and September, not June and December.

Which One of the Following Statements Is True About the Equinoxes