The Occurrence ofthe Solar Terms
1995-2013
The Occurrence ofThis table shows the dates, in Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time), on which the sun reaches the ecliptic longitudes for each of the solar terms, in the years 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 according to the data for the sun in The Astronomical Almanac for the Year 1995 and subsequent volumes for 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 [U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, and Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012].
| THE SOLAR TERMS | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Long- itude of Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23. Little Cold | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 285o |
| 24. Great Cold | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/19 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/19 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 1/19 | 300o |
| 1. Spring Begins | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/3 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/3 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/3 | 315o |
| 2. Rain Water | 2/19 | 2/19 | 2/18 | 2/18 | 2/19 | 2/19 | 2/18 | 2/18 | 2/19 | 2/19 | 2/18 | 2/18 | 2/19 | 2/19 | 2/18 | 2/18 | 2/19 | 2/19 | 2/18 | 330o |
| 3. Excited Insects | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/6 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 345o |
| 4. Vernal Equinox | 3/21 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/21 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/21 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/21 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 0o |
| 5. Clear & Bright | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 15o |
| 6. Grain Rains | 4/20 | 4/19 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 4/19 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 4/19 | 4/19 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 4/19 | 4/19 | 4/20 | 4/20 | 4/19 | 4/19 | 30o |
| 7. Summer Begins | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 45o |
| 8. Grains Fills | 5/21 | 5/20 | 5/21 | 5/21 | 5/21 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/21 | 5/21 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/21 | 5/21 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 5/21 | 5/21 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 60o |
| 9. Grain in Ear | 6/6 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/6 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/6 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/6 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 6/6 | 6/5 | 6/5 | 75o |
| 10. Summer Solstice | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/20 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 6/20 | 6/21 | 90o |
| 11. Slight Heat | 7/7 | 7/6 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/6 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/6 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/6 | 7/6 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/6 | 7/6 | 105o |
| 12. Great Heat | 7/23 | 7/22 | 7/22 | 7/23 | 7/23 | 7/22 | 7/22 | 7/23 | 7/23 | 7/23 | 7/22 | 7/22 | 7/23 | 7/22 | 7/22 | 7/22 | 7/23 | 7/22 | 7/22 | 120o |
| 13. Autumn Begins | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 8/7 | 135o |
| 14. Limit of Heat | 8/23 | 8/22 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/22 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/22 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/22 | 8/22 | 8/23 | 8/23 | 8/22 | 8/22 | 150o |
| 15. White Dew | 9/8 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/8 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/8 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/8 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 9/7 | 165o |
| 16. Autumn Equinox | 9/23 | 9/22 | 9/22 | 9/23 | 9/23 | 9/22 | 9/22 | 9/23 | 9/23 | 9/22 | 9/22 | 9/23 | 9/23 | 9/22 | 9/22 | 9/23 | 9/23 | 9/22 | 9/22 | 180o |
| 17. Cold Dew | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/7 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/7 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/7 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/8 | 10/7 | 10/8 | 195o |
| 18. Frost Descends | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 10/23 | 210o |
| 19. Winter Begins | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 11/7 | 225o |
| 20. Little Snow | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/21 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/21 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/22 | 11/21 | 11/22 | 240o |
| 21. Great Snow | 12/7 | 12/6 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/6 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/6 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/6 | 12/6 | 12/7 | 12/7 | 12/6 | 12/6 | 255o |
| 22. Winter Solstice | 12/22 | 12/21 | 12/21 | 12/22 | 12/22 | 12/21 | 12/21 | 12/22 | 12/22 | 12/21 | 12/21 | 12/22 | 12/22 | 12/21 | 12/21 | 12/21 | 12/22 | 12/21 | 12/21 | 270o |
The table begins in January with the calendar year. A true Chinese reckoning, of course, would time the events on a meridian in China, by convention 120o East, instead of on the Prime Meridian of Greenwich. However, the practice here, using Greenwich, serves to universalize this aspect of Chinese astronomy, times for China can be obtained just by adding a few hours, and, after all, the UT data is what I have readily available. I don't think I would want to correct it anyway, since I like the universalization.
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The Solar Terms and the Chinese Calendar
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