Solar longitude
150°
Classification
Principal term · 气 qi
Month boundary
Does not open a month
Definition
What End of Heat marks
The season behind the name
End of Heat names the seasonal retreat of summer warmth, before the dew-named autumn terms.
These names grew from seasonal observation and farming practice. They describe a traditional seasonal sequence, not a weather forecast for every region.
End of Heat begins at the instant the Sun reaches 150 degrees of apparent ecliptic longitude. It is one of 24 equal 15-degree divisions of the solar year, so its Gregorian position changes only slightly from year to year.
As a qi term, End of Heat marks the alternating mid-month point in the solar-term sequence. It does not open a solar branch month, and it does not open a lunar month.
The time is shown in China Standard Time (UTC+8). A reader west or east of that zone may see the same instant fall on a different local civil date.
Three pentads · 三候
Seasonal observations
Each traditional pentad spans about five days and names a seasonal sign associated with that part of the term.
- First pentad
Hawks display captured birds as offerings
鹰乃祭鸟
- Second pentad
Heaven and earth begin to grow austere
天地始肃
- Third pentad
Grain crops ripen
禾乃登