Happy Solstice!

[crfriend]

It was the darkest of days, it was the brightest of days -- or both, depending where on the planet one dwells. For us here, however, in the northern hemisphere today is the darkest of days, the shortest day of the year that warranted celebrations and festivities just so folks could get through it. These celebrations continue amongst some, and Sapphire and I are amongst those -- and we wish everybody here a happy solstice as well (including those of you down under for which this is your summer solstice)!

Today also marks the day of the year that the sun rises and sets at the southernmost azimuth of any other day of the year. This is visible in that wonder of semi-modern technology the "weather RADAR":

winter-solstice.gif

The "day star" beyond providing heat and light to us ground-bound folks is also a pretty good radio transmitter, and this confuses weather RADARs as they pan around at the horizon looking, with their own "illumination", for water droplets; the sun's energy momentarily "dazzles" them, and that's the straight lines you see in the image.

The image above is a composite of this morning's sunrise and yesterday evening's sunset (today's was obscured by rain) and the general other bits that the National Weather Service provides on its RADAR imagery. The radial to the southeast is sunrise and the one to the southwest is sunset. On equinox days, the radials are 180 degree apart at due east and due west, and on the Summer Equinox they're displaced a similar amount to the Winter Solstice, but to the north. If one animates these over the course of a year, they "flap" "up" and "down". The classically-trained navigator knows this phenomenon well as it's the most basic way of establishing latitude when one is at sea; in practise this is done at noon, and also yields another important datum which, along with a chronometer and proper tables, allows one to compute one's longitude as well. And it's visible with the naked eye, although the naked eye needs to be shielded for taking sights.

It's been dark here for a bit more than two hours, and it seems like midnight. However, there's a roast of prime rib comtemplating its existence in the oven (and part of which will make Sapphire and I very happy (and full) in a little bit), potatoes taking shape on the stove, and plenty of libations to go 'round. Life is good.

[Since1982]

Shows how dumb I am. I always thought an Azimuth was a type of knife, and a bunch of them were referred to as Azimuthii..

[Kirbstone]

This year we had a very happy Solstace indeed. Firstly, relative to the same day last year the temperature was 22 deg. Celsius warmer!! Instead of Minus 10 it was Plus 12, which is seriously mild for now, up here on the 54th parallel North.

In my 'party gear' pic. on another thread there's a picture of a horse behind my head. This was painted for us by a 78 yr. old lady friend whose daughter is a seriously competent harpist, playing last night (21st) in a local theatre with her group, 'The 5th String'...Flute, Harp, Violin, guitar & female singer. This lady gave us two 2nd row stalls tickets and we hadn't been so near them before. It was an intimate experience THE nicest evening's musical entertainment I have enjoyed for a very long time, and that's saying something.

Tom K.

[Taj]

Happy Solstice, indeed. Now, pardon me while I go outdoors and remove 14" of solstice from the driveway. I'm soooo glad that the light is returning.

[skirtingtoday]

And a Happy Solstice from me. Yes, same as kirbstone, the temperature was on the healthy plus side which was rather different from last year where it was the same number but minus (+11deg C as against -11deg C last year)

Had the kilt on for the office lunch and turkey hat - which did give some amusement to the Cantonese restaurant staff when I said it was NOT for the pot!

[JRMILLER]

We had our annual Solstice bonfire and we all stripped down, painted ourselves in edible blue paint and danced around the bonfire all night!

Merry Christmas!

[Gregg1100]

Merry Xmas to all---one thing is good though. Summer is coming. In Wales, that will be about 14.30, one day sometime in June.