21/10/2023
Please read and understand...
Why we are observing Makara Sankranti on the 15th of Jan. and why not on Jan. 14?
Earlier, we were observing Makar Sankranti on the 14th of January every year. This year, Makar Sankranti (MS) is on the 15th of January. Why is it so?
In fact, from the year 1935 onwards, till 2007, MS was falling on the 14th January every year. Prior to that, between 1862 and 1934, it was falling on the 13th January every year.
But from 2008 onwards, MS has been falling on 15th of January every year. This will continue to be so till the Year 2080. From the year 2081 onwards, MS will fall on 16th of January every year for the next 72 years, that is, till 2153.
As per the Indian Almanac's Time calculation, Sun enters the Zodiac sign of Makara Raasi (from Dhanur Raasi), 20 minutes late every year, as compared to the English time or the World Time. Thus, once in 3 years, Sun enters the Makar Raasi late by one hour. That means, in every cycle of 72 years, Sun enters Makar Raasi late by one day.
Why this delay? It is because of a phenomenon known as the *Axial Precession of the Earth*. In addition to the daily rotation and annual revolution of the Earth around the Sun, the Earth has a third movement in which it wobbles like a top, with its axis pointing in different directions at the rate of 50 arc-seconds a year. This wobbly movement (caused by the gravity of the Sun and the Moon acting on the equatorial bulge of the Earth) is called Axial Precession, and the axis goes around in a full circle once is 25,772 years. This translates to an apparent delay in the movement of the Sun against the backdrop of the constellations by 24 hours in 72 years or 20 minutes per annum.
