THE LONGEST DAY
Today marks that day of the year when the North Pole is tilted farthest towards the Sun. Consequently, the Sun reaches farthest north of the equator. Although we mark the occasion by greeting the sunrise, the actual time of the Solstice is at 2:24 PM. The word solstice means ‘sun stands still’. So for a few days around June, 21 the Sun will appear to rise and set at exactly the same places. During the days the Sun will appear at its highest, around 62 degrees at noon.
Many ancient civilisations marked the Summer Solstice, seeing it as a time to celebrate the forces which controlled the natural cycle of life, death and rebirth. From Stonehenge to Peru and from China to Egypt, ancient civilisations erected structures to mark these important events. Even today hundreds of people will be marking the event by visiting Stonehenge and watching the Sun rise over the Stone Circle. The Sun rises over the monument at around 4:58 am.
MAY THE SUNSHINE FOR YOU TODAY
7 comments:
I can't believe we've had the longest day already. It will be Christmas soon! What a thought!
Feels like the longest day as i'm here until 7.30 in work! Shaz, what a truly TERRIBLE thought!!
Summer soltice already..wishing you lots of sunshine today too Ruth.
I'm always sad when we reach the longest day, because the days will now start getting shorter!
Hope the sun is shining for you today Ruth!
Sunshine to all of you and please Shaz no mention of Christmas yet. I'm still paying for the last one!:o)
hmmm I didn't realize until TODAY actually that today was the day but I was beginning to get that feeling, you know what I mean... when it's light SO early and SO LATE!!
You know those Americans are so far south of us they get far less of an extreme as we do, we're well up there to the north... it's all about the Gulf Stream so I'm told making our climate more clement than it would otherwise be. Because we're on a line with Siberia and the Canadian tundra!!
Hope you had a pleasant solstice!!
I used to know people with cats with names like that... hippies of the world unite!
(Haven't heard anything about Stone Henge being overrun with hippies this year though. What, has all that gone out of fash??)
Gleds I heard that there were over 24000 people at Stonehenge and all went well with only 4 arrests over minor incidents.
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