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American Journal of Physics -- August 1979 -- Volume 47, Issue 8, pp. 685

Astronomical meaning of a tropical year

Reuben Benumof

The College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York 10301

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A tropical year is usually described incorrectly as the actual interval between two successive passages of the Sun through the vernal equinox. These intervals vary from year to year because of the differing periods of the perturbations of the angular velocity of the Earth. A tropical year is correctly defined as the mean interval between two successive passages of the Sun through the mean equinox of date. The time of beginning of spring depends on (i) the perturbations of the angular velocity of the Earth, (ii) the nutation of the Earth’s axis, and (iii) the aberration of light.

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

TROPICAL REGIONS, CLIMATES, SEASONS, SEASONAL VARIATIONS, WEATHER, EARTH PLANET, SUN, ASTRONOMY, VERNALIZATION

PACS

  • 93.30.Vs

    Tropical regions

  • 92.60.Ry

    Climatology, climate change and variability

  • 95.10.Ce

    Celestial mechanics (including n-body problems)

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0002-9505 (print)  

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.11742

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