The first was Unaqtaniktuq, meaning that at noon a harpoon shaft held horizontally at arm's length would appear to fit between the horizon and the lower rim of the Sun's disk. This measurement was an indication that indeed the Sun was back, but barely.

The next stage, known as Kullutaniktuq, was determined when, with your arm extended, the thumb of your mittened hand would fill the gap between the Sun and the horizon. Kullutaniktuq, occuring in late January at the latitude of Igloolik, signalled the start of seal hunting at breathing holes on the land-fast ice using the technique known as mauliq (Kappianaq 1990, IE-155).

Pualutaniktuq, the final and most important measurement of the Sun's progress, was determined when it had at last reached a noon altitude now equal to the full width of your mitt. Depending on variables such as latitude, arm length, and mitt size, the Sun would reach this height on a date falling between 19 February and 4 March, in any event two or three weeks before equinox.

The equinoxes themselves seemed to have little significance for Inuit. In Igloolik, however, George Kappianaq named the period around spring equinox Ikiaqparvik, meaning that the Sun at noon was reaching heights halfway between the horizon and its maximum altitude at summer solstice. It was also noted at this time that the Sun would set opposite its point of rising (Piugaattuk 1990, IE-147)." (Arctic Sky)