Noon

Noon is the time exactly halfway through the day, written 12:00 in the 24-hour clock and 12:00 noon in the 12-hour clock. Midday is also used as a synonym for noon, although this may also be a more general term to mean around noon, or very early afternoon.

Related Topics:
Day - 24-hour clock - 12-hour clock - Synonym - Afternoon

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Solar noon is when the sun appears the highest in the sky (nearest zenith), compared to its positions during the rest of the day. It occurs when the Sun is transitting the celestial meridian, exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset. This is also the origin of the terms ante meridiem and post meridiem. At solar noon, the sun is due south in the Northern Hemisphere, and due north in the Southern Hemisphere. (Actually, this is not strictly true, but the maximum difference between noon and sun due-south is a mere 16 seconds of time at 45 degrees North latitude, and 3 minutes at 85oN.) The sun is directly overhead at solar noon at the equator on the equinoxes; at Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23½°N) on the summer solstice in June; and at Tropic of Capricorn (23½°S) on the winter solstice in December.

Related Topics:
Sun - Zenith - Transit - Celestial - Meridian - Sunrise - Sunset - Ante meridiem - Post meridiem - Northern Hemisphere - Southern Hemisphere - Equator - Equinox - Tropic of Cancer - Latitude - Summer solstice - June - Tropic of Capricorn - Winter solstice - December

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Due to the use of time zones and daylight saving time, there are many places in the world where the highest point of the sun and the clock time of noon do not coincide.

Related Topics:
Time zones - Daylight saving time - Clock

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The opposite of noon is midnight.

Related Topics:
Opposite - Midnight

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