Midnight 247844 224803670 2008-07-10T14:13:07Z PV=nRT 7205825 iw {{Refimprove|date=September 2007}} {{otheruses}} '''Midnight''' is, literally, "the middle of the night." In most systems it is when one day ends and the next begins: when the date changes. Originally midnight was halfway between [[sunset]] and [[dawn]], varying according to the [[season]]s. '''Solar midnight''' is that time opposite of [[noon|solar noon]], when the sun is closest to [[nadir]] and the night is equi-distant from dusk and dawn. Due to the advent of [[time zone]]s, which makes time identical across a range of [[meridian (geography)|meridian]]s, and [[daylight saving time]] it rarely coincides with midnight on a clock, but can be computed on a number of websites that perform solar time calculations. Solar midnight is dependent on longitude, latitude, altitude, and time of the year rather than on a time zone. ==Start and end of day== Midnight marks the beginning and ending of each day in civil time throughout the world. It is the dividing point between one day and another. With [[12-hour clock|12-hour time notation]], most authorities recommend avoiding confusion by using "midnight", "12 midnight", or "12:00 midnight". Digital clocks and computers appear to show 12 a.m. for midnight. While that phrase may be used practically, it helps to understand that any particular time is actually an instant. The "a.m." shown on clock displays refers to the 12-hour period following the instant of midnight, not to the instant itself. In other words, 11:59 p.m. shows until midnight; at the instant of midnight it flips to 12:00. Simultaneously, the p.m. flips to a.m., though, strictly speaking, a.m. applies not to the instant of midnight which separates p.m. and a.m. In [[24-hour clock|24-hour time notation]], "00:00" and "00:00:00" refer to midnight at the start of a given date. Some styles allow 24:00 for the end of a day. Noon is 12:00:00. While computers and digital [[clock]]s display "12:00 a.m." and "12:00 p.m.", those notations provide no clear and unambiguous way to distinguish between midnight and noon. It is actually improper to use "a.m." and "p.m." when referring to 12:00. The abbreviation a.m. stands for ''ante meridiem'' or ''before noon'' and p.m. stands for ''post meridiem'' or ''after noon''. Since noon is neither after noon or before noon, neither abbreviation is correct (although the length of the error is determined by the smallest unit of time — 12:00:01 p.m. would be correctly notated). Similarly, midnight is both twelve hours before as well as twelve hours after noon, so both are ambiguous as to the date intended. The most common ways to represent these times are, (a) to use a 24-hour clock (00:00 and 12:00, 24:00), (b) to use "12 noon" or "12 midnight", although unless the person is referring to a general time and not a specific day, "12 midnight" is still ambiguous, (c) to specify it between two successive days or dates (Midnight Saturday/Sunday or Midnight December 14/15), and (d) to use "12:01 a.m." or "11:59 p.m." This final usage is common in the travel industry, especially train and plane schedules, to avoid confusion as to passengers' schedules. <ref>[http://tf.nist.gov/general/misc.htm#Anchor-57026 National Institute of Standards and Technology's Physics Laboratory, Time and Frequency Division]</ref> The U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual recommends the opposite, that noon is 12 a.m. and midnight is 12 p.m.<ref>[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/2000/chapter_txt-12.html U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual], p. 181.</ref> Some religious calendars continue to begin the day at another time &mdash; for example, at [[dusk]] in the [[Hebrew calendar]] and the [[Islamic calendar]]. == Cultural meanings == In traditional magical thinking, "midnight" refers to solar midnight, which is opposite solar [[noon]]. These form an axis linking the mundane world with [[otherworld]]s by being the [[apogee]] of darkness and the [[perigee]] of light. Thus, traditional midnight is associated with [[chaos]], [[death]], [[underworld]] and mystery. It was seen as a moment when [[sacrum]] manifests itself and [[Epiphany (feeling)|epiphanies]] were most likely. The epiphanies expected were those associated with darkness, so it was thought that at midnight, visitation from [[spirit]]s, [[ghost]]s, [[demon]]s and [[devil]]s were common. All the supernatural creatures of darkness — reminiscent of feared nocturnal predators — were believed to haunt the night, their potency greatest at its central point, midnight. According to Slavic folklore, midnight was time when [[strzyga]]s rose from graves to suck the blood of mortals, [[zmora]]s assailed the sleeping to steal their breath, and devils came for sinners. [[Poland|Polish]] [[Jew]]s believed that it was the time when [[dybbuk]]s possessed people, causing insanity. As night's attributes are chaos and primordiality, all the acts of summoning from [[otherworld]]s were easiest to perform at the culmination of the night. [[Supernatural]] entities like demons and devils universally answered a human call — be it death wish, [[curse]] of [[famine]], prostration or pact with the devil. All the acts of [[magic (paranormal)|sorcery]], [[witchcraft]], [[necromancy]] were easiest then. While some beliefs stated that elaborate rituals were needed, some other folklore ascribed unholy power to such simple acts as calling the devil at [[Crossroads (culture)|crossroads]] at midnight. Even peeking into a mirror at night (without a reliable clock one could never be certain what time it was) was dangerous, as the devil himself could have looked back. Midnight was also the time to gather the ingredients used in [[magic (paranormal)|magical]] acts done at other times, so various herbs were thought to be most potent when harvested at midnight. ==See also== *[[12-hour clock]] *[[Noon]] *[[New Year's Eve]] == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://tf.nist.gov/general/misc.htm National Institute of Standards and Technology] [[Category:Parts of a day]] [[Category:Night]] [[ay:Chika aruma]] [[cs:Půlnoc]] [[da:Midnat]] [[de:Mitternacht]] [[et:Kesköö]] [[es:Medianoche]] [[eo:Noktomezo]] [[fr:Minuit]] [[ko:한밤]] [[id:Tengah malam]] [[jbo:ctemidju]] [[nl:Middernacht]] [[ja:深夜]] [[no:Midnatt]] [[pl:Północ (godzina 0:00)]] [[pt:Meia-noite]] [[qu:Chawpi tuta]] [[ru:Полночь]] [[sk:Polnoc]] [[sl:Polnoč]] [[fi:Keskiyö]] [[sv:Midnatt]] [[zh-yue:半夜]] [[zh:午夜]]