Noon facts for kids

Noon is a special time of day. It's exactly the middle of the day. We often write it as 12:00 PM. Sometimes people call it midday. This can mean exactly noon or just around that time.

What is Solar Noon?

Solar noon is when the Sun is highest in the sky. This happens when the Sun is exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset. This is also where the terms a.m. and p.m. come from. A.m. means ante meridiem, which is Latin for "before midday". P.m. means post meridiem, or "after midday".

At solar noon, the Sun appears in different directions depending on where you are. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun will be directly south. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be directly north.

The Sun is directly overhead at solar noon in certain places:

• At the equator during the equinoxes (around March 20 and September 22).
• At the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North) during the summer solstice in June.
• At the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° South) during the winter solstice in December.

Noon on the Clock vs. Solar Noon

The time on a clock for noon is often different from solar noon. This is because we use time zones. Also, some places use daylight saving time. These systems help us keep similar clock times across large areas. But they mean the Sun might not be exactly overhead at 12:00 PM on your clock.

Opposite of Noon

The exact opposite of noon is midnight. Midnight is the middle of the night.

Images for kids

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  The Sun at noon from Kerala, India

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  A clock tower in Birmingham, England, showing 12 o'clock noon

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  Baku Street at Noon (1861) by Alexey Bogolyubov, showing shadows falling vertically in the city of Baku

See also

In Spanish: Mediodía para niños