What is a tropical year?

Answer 1

The Earth orbits the Sun in about 365.25 days. That's a "year".

However, there are several definitions of exactly what we mean by a "year".

The "tropical year" is usually measured from what is known as the "Vernal Equinox".

The tropical year is a measure based on the Earth's seasons.

It's about 20 minutes shorter than the "sidereal year" which is based on the Earth's orbital period with reference to the background of stars.

For our calendars, we use a year of 365 days with leap years of 366 days.

Answer 2

A tropical year, also known as a solar year, is the time it takes for the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun, measured from one vernal equinox to the next. It is approximately 365.24 days long and is the basis for our calendar year.