Sunday, June 21, 2009

21 June 2009: Happy Summer Solstice, The Longest Day of The Year





Via LiveScience.com.

If you've been waiting for the chance to get more done during the day, Sunday is your day, but only by a fraction of a second.

Like a giant timepiece, Earth and sun are configured for the summer solstice once again. This year it happens June 21, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun will be up a fraction of a second longer than the day prior or the day after. (The length of the full day, including night, does not change, of course.)

To grasp how it works, one must understand Earth's cockeyed leanings and some celestial configurations that even the ancients knew something about.

Our planet is tilted 23.5 degrees on its spin axis. On June 21 this year (some years it's June 20), the North Pole is pointing toward the sun as much as is possible.

More here.

Image source: Wikipedia

2 Comments:

At Sun Jun 21, 06:13:00 AM PDT, Anonymous Derek said...

thanks for the information.
I guess, I have slept thro' this fraction of second already.

shame on myself.

 
At Sun Jun 21, 10:02:00 AM PDT, Blogger Momkiss said...

Finally warm and has stopped raining- a foot in a week is too much!

 

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