December 21, 2006 - Solstice Trivia

Today we celebrate the Winter Solstice - which marks the beginning of Winter and the shortest day of the year.

Here in Los Angeles today the sun rose at 6:54 AM and set at 4:47 PM so our day was 9 hours and 53 minutes long.


TRIVIA QUESTION:

If you happened to be in Sydney Australia on December 21st, how many hours and minutes of daylight would you experience?


TRIVIA ANSWER:

14 hours and 20 minutes.


The sun rose at 5:43 AM and set at 8:03 PM today in Sydney. Although today is the shortest day of the year here, in Australia it is the LONGEST day of the year and is the Summer Solstance, marking the beginning of Summer. Remember - Sydney is in the Southern Hemisphere!

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In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.

The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

For information on Sunrise and Sunset times anywhere in the world, go to: http://www.sunrisesunset.com


X X X X X X X X NET CHECK IN's X X X X X X X X

Thanks to all who checked in to tonight's net. Here's the list of check-in's and their answers to tonight's question (in the format HOURS:MINUTES).

* WB6A - Pat - 10:00 (10 hours 0 minutes)
* WB6ATV - Ron - 11:46
* KE6CZH - Robert - 13:00
* KG6DBL - Bill - 15:00
* W6DTS - Ted - 14:22
* K6FCC - Khalil - 13:20
* KD6JEV - John - 9:49
* WA6JWF - Joey - 15:10
* KG6KTC - Leon - 11:46
* NY6L - Jay - 14:30
* K6LMN - Roger - 17:00
* W6NVY - Gary - 12:07
* KG6NWJ - Barry - 13:30
* KD6OBM - Jason - 12:30
* KF6PIH - Scott - 14:00
* K6QVZ - Joe - 18:00
* KG6RDA - Sidney - 14:30
* AD6UP - Louie - 9:53
* KF6YBM - Henry - 14:45
* KF6ZQM - Harry - Checked in by KG6RDA
* N6ZZK - Theo - 14:23
* KG6TRR - Bob -14:23
* KI6EBF - Douglas - 14:47
* N6NGU - Lee - 13:00

Thanks to all for your check-in's.

de N6CIZ - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!