The winter solstice
Today was the shortest day of the year in Australia, and the longest in the northern hemisphere.
The shortest and longest days of the year are called solstices. In Canberra where I live, the sun rose at 7:12am and set at 4:58pm. That was just nine hours and 46 minutes of daylight. It is even less further south.
In six months time, on 21 December, this will change to over 14 hours.
21 March and 21 September are the equinoxes, when there are 12 hours per day and night all over the world.
Solstices, and seasons, occur because Earth is tilted 23 degrees. In June, the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and the northern hemisphere tilted towards the sun. The reverse occurs in December. In March and September, the hemispheres are not tilted towards the Sun, but right angles to it.
This tilt results in the sun rising later and setting earlier in winter, hence less daylight. The sun also tracks a lower course through the sky, so its rays hit Australia at an oblique angle. These in turn results in winter being colder.
Even as the days start getting longer from now on, the weather will still get colder as winter is not just due to less sunlight. Heat retention and weather patterns are also other factors.
........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo........
My human stayed home with me today. He phoned work in the morning and then went back to bed where I returned after my breakfast to keep him warm. So he wasn't feeling too well then. It was also a cold and wet day.
He got up after midday again, and I tricked him into giving me another little breakfast by carrying on a bit in the kitchen. He was going to go back to bed, but I convinced him to lounge around with me on the couch. After all, we wouldn't want to ruin his night time sleep and stay awake all night.
Anyway, I had cooked chicken for dinner tonight which was good.
keisercat@wildmail.com
The shortest and longest days of the year are called solstices. In Canberra where I live, the sun rose at 7:12am and set at 4:58pm. That was just nine hours and 46 minutes of daylight. It is even less further south.
In six months time, on 21 December, this will change to over 14 hours.
21 March and 21 September are the equinoxes, when there are 12 hours per day and night all over the world.
Solstices, and seasons, occur because Earth is tilted 23 degrees. In June, the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and the northern hemisphere tilted towards the sun. The reverse occurs in December. In March and September, the hemispheres are not tilted towards the Sun, but right angles to it.
This tilt results in the sun rising later and setting earlier in winter, hence less daylight. The sun also tracks a lower course through the sky, so its rays hit Australia at an oblique angle. These in turn results in winter being colder.
Even as the days start getting longer from now on, the weather will still get colder as winter is not just due to less sunlight. Heat retention and weather patterns are also other factors.
........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo........
My human stayed home with me today. He phoned work in the morning and then went back to bed where I returned after my breakfast to keep him warm. So he wasn't feeling too well then. It was also a cold and wet day.
He got up after midday again, and I tricked him into giving me another little breakfast by carrying on a bit in the kitchen. He was going to go back to bed, but I convinced him to lounge around with me on the couch. After all, we wouldn't want to ruin his night time sleep and stay awake all night.
Anyway, I had cooked chicken for dinner tonight which was good.
keisercat@wildmail.com
posted by Keiser at 20:20
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