These astronomical curiosities are fascinating. We visited something similar .. Maes Howe ... on Orkney a few years ago.
It's also intriguing to realise that we don't actually get the shortest day (that's 'shortest day', not 'the least daylight') around this time of the year (as not all days are exactly 24 hours long). That usually occurs around June/July/August. Of course, it's fractions of a millisecond, but intriguing nonetheless.
I think April got 'longest day' this year ... and it will be November next year.
Of course the mammon bit, the eat, drink and be merry stuff, comes from the Soltice celebrations that predated Christmas (not invented until three or four centuries after the death of the rabbi Jesus of Nazareth).
So celebrate either or both or complain about over celebration, both are traditions going back hundreds and hundreds of years.
Saturn and Jupiter are the closest this evening than they have been for 400 years. They will appear conjoined.
It’s a fairly significant planetary day, the end of an astrological epoch. Jupiter and Saturn will, for the next 200 years predominantly conjoin in Air signs rather than Earth signs.....
Saturn and Jupiter are the closest this evening than they have been for 400 years. They will appear conjoined.
It’s a fairly significant planetary day, the end of an astrological epoch. Jupiter and Saturn will, for the next 200 years predominantly conjoin in Air signs rather than Earth signs.....
it’s a turning point I tell you.
And some Catholic scholars believe it was a similar convergence that "foretold" the birth of Jesus as the star of Bethlehem.
Saturn and Jupiter are the closest this evening than they have been for 400 years. They will appear conjoined.
It’s a fairly significant planetary day, the end of an astrological epoch. Jupiter and Saturn will, for the next 200 years predominantly conjoin in Air signs rather than Earth signs.....
it’s a turning point I tell you.
The view of Saturn and Jupiter was pretty good last night. We had some cloud up our way, but it was intermittent and me and Mrs Rudd enjoyed a brief moment of conjunction (oo-err).
If it is clear tonight, you'll have to time it right. Take a look at around 4.30pm onwards, low-ish in the sky, South West and will disappear below the horizon at about 6pm.
On a slightly different note, the ISS will be directly overhead at about 07.10 on the morning of the 25th. Could be Santa going home in some kid's eyes ;-)
I watched 'live' via their facebook page this morning. Beautiful place. Thank god daylight will be on the up again.
Agree, but please thank nature not a man made creation. Mankind have abused the planet for centuries but we keep getting another chance to see the bigger picture.
Discovered it by chance on a fishing trip. A guide accompanies small groups at a time into the cramped confines of the chamber and an incredible atmosphere is experienced.
Solstice is as precisely 21.48 tonight. At that time the Sun will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and it won't be going any lower this year. It's fantastic news, the days are going to start getting longer. Forget your babies in stables, this is what Christmas is all about.
Solstice is as precisely 21.48 tonight. At that time it will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and it won't be going any lower this year. It's fantastic news, the days are going to start getting longer. Forget your babies in stables, this is what Christmas is all about.
When I'm walking down Harvey Gardens tonight after watching us lose 4-0, I'll remember this...
Please help an idiot - in summer our days are shorter than Scotland's. In winter our days are longer. When does the flip happen? It's not Sep 21st and I don't think it's when clocks change as different countries have different dates for this...
Solstice is as precisely 21.48 tonight. At that time it will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and it won't be going any lower this year. It's fantastic news, the days are going to start getting longer. Forget your babies in stables, this is what Christmas is all about.
When I'm walking down Harvey Gardens tonight after watching us lose 4-0, I'll remember this...
Fear not - for there will be a star in the east (and three geysers on camels followed by a flock of sheep). It will be the sign that divine intervention will play its part in rescuing the club from the clutches of non-believers.
Please help an idiot - in summer our days are shorter than Scotland's. In winter our days are longer. When does the flip happen? It's not Sep 21st and I don't think it's when clocks change as different countries have different dates for this...
Good question. That flip would happen at Equinox, wouldn't it? The last one would have been on 23rd September 2022 and the next one will be on 20th March 2023.
This is a good site for this sort of thing. You can see how the days increase/decrease and set the city too - so good for holiday info on lengths of day.
Solstice is as precisely 21.48 tonight. At that time it will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and it won't be going any lower this year. It's fantastic news, the days are going to start getting longer. Forget your babies in stables, this is what Christmas is all about.
When I'm walking down Harvey Gardens tonight after watching us lose 4-0, I'll remember this...
Fear not - for there will be a star in the east (and three geysers on camels followed by a flock of sheep). It will be the sign that divine intervention will play its part in rescuing the club from the clutches of non-believers.
Alas, it was a floodlight pylon and some mounted police.
Newgrange did their annual broadcast yesterday, although the solstice was in the early hours of this morning, and they got direct sunlight just before the end of the time period when the sun shines through the hole in the roof. I imagine it would be a magical experience if you were inside the chamber in the dark, but I have to admit that watching the internet stream it lost some of the solemnity - just a couple of people getting excited about seeing sunlight on the floor.
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Newgrange in Ireland, must visit it one day.
It's also intriguing to realise that we don't actually get the shortest day (that's 'shortest day', not 'the least daylight') around this time of the year (as not all days are exactly 24 hours long). That usually occurs around June/July/August. Of course, it's fractions of a millisecond, but intriguing nonetheless.
I think April got 'longest day' this year ... and it will be November next year.
Of course the mammon bit, the eat, drink and be merry stuff, comes from the Soltice celebrations that predated Christmas (not invented until three or four centuries after the death of the rabbi Jesus of Nazareth).
So celebrate either or both or complain about over celebration, both are traditions going back hundreds and hundreds of years.
it’s a turning point I tell you.
If it is clear tonight, you'll have to time it right. Take a look at around 4.30pm onwards, low-ish in the sky, South West and will disappear below the horizon at about 6pm.
Agree, but please thank nature not a man made creation.
Mankind have abused the planet for centuries but we keep getting another chance to see the bigger picture.
The planet won't keep repairing itself.
A Beautiful film.
https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/london