SOLSTICE 489 SOLYMAN II. Cyprus, and Lydia. On his return, after an absence of 10 years, he found the State torn by party violence, and his kinsman SOLON Pisistratus aiming at the sovereignty, which he soon seized. Solon then with- drew from public life and is supposed to have died at the age of 80, about 558 B. c. SOLSTICE, in astronomy, the time when the sun is in one of the solstitial points — that is, when it is at its greatest distance from the equator — and is so called because he then appears to stand still, and not to change his distance from the equator for some time. There are two solstices in each year — the summer and the winter solstice. The former is when the sun seems to enter the tropic of Cancer, which is on June 21, the longest day; the latter solstice is when the sun enters the first degree, or seems to de- scribe the tropic of Capricorn, which is on Dec. 22, the shortest day. This is only to be understood of the Northern Hemisphere, as in the Southern the sun's entrance into Capricorn makes the sum- mer solstice, and into Cancer the winter solstice. SOLUTION, in ordinary language, the act of separating the parts of any body; disruption, breach; also, the act of solv- ing, explaining, answering, or clearing up, as a problem, question, doubt; the State of being solved, explained, answered, or cleared up; or, that which serves to solve, explain, answer, or clear up a prob- lem, question, doubt, or the like, explana- tion, resolution. In chemistry, a term applied to the product of the action, as well as the action itself, whereby a solid or gaseous body in contact with a liquid suffers lique- faction ; or to the union of one liquid with another when each is capable of taking up only a limited* quantity of the other. SOLVAY, a city of New York, in Onondaga co. It is on the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western, and the New York Central and Hudson River railroads, and on the State Barge Canal. It joins Syracuse on the west. Its chief indus- tries are the manufacture of chemicals, pottery, and iron. The city has a public library and a high school building. Pop. (1910) 5,139; (1920) 7,352. SOLVAY, ERNEST, a Belgian chem- ist, born in 1838. His chief investigations were connected with the development of the ammonia process for the manufacture of soda and its establishment on a com- mercial basis. He erected his first plant in Belgium in 1863. His processes were continually improved and patents cover- ing it were granted. He established plants in all parts of the world and by 1913 practically had acquired control of the world's supply of soda. He founded the Solvay Institute in Brussels for the advancement of social democracy, and was also aclive in philanthropic work. He made large gifts to educational institu- tions in Paris and in Belgium, and was president of the Belgian Academy of Let- ters. During the World War he took an active part in relieving the distress of Belgium, although the greater part of his fortune was taken by the Germans during their occupation of Belgium. SOL WAY FIRTH, an arm of the Irish Sea, forming part of the boundary be- tween England and Scotland, and ex- tending inland in a N. E. direction for above 41 miles, with a breadth diminish- ing from 20 miles, at its entrance between St. Bees Head in Cumberland, and Ray- berry Head in Kirkcudbrightshire, to 7 miles, and finally only to 2 miles. A large portion of the Solway is left dry at ebb tide. It abounds with fish and has valua- ble salmon fisheries. SOLYMAN I., or SULEIMAN, the Noble, Emperor of Turkey, was pro- claimed emperor after the defeat and capture of his father, Bajazet, by Tim- our, 1402. He was dethroned by his brother, Mousa, during a revolt of his subjects, and soon after killed, 1410. SOLYMAN II. surnamed the Magni- ficent; born in 1493, succeeded his father, Selem I., in 1520. Having concluded a truce with Ismael, sophi of Persia, and quelled a rebellion in Syria, he turned
