THE SHORTEST DAY.

[billdango]

For those forum members who are interested, the sun reaches its furthest point South on December the 22nd at 5.30 am.

After that it gradually gets lighter i think by about 4 minutes per day.

rgds Billdango

[Troppoz]

So whos up for a naked frolic round the maypole?

[Tom2006]

[kata]

So whos up for a naked frolic round the maypole?

It must be a down under thing...........

Thanks Bill. I look forward to lighter nights soon.

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

So whos up for a naked frolic round the maypole?

Only if you show us how it's done first.

Camcorder at the ready

[kata]

[Conifers]

So whos up for a naked frolic round the maypole?

Of course that's when it starts getting darker for you

[Yorkshire Kris]

Isn't the 21st the shortest day?

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

Its the day Mother Earth does a "handbrake turn" and gets us back on the right road to summer.

Pretty impressive for a female driver

[Trudytropics]

Spring is on the way

[billdango]

Isn't the 21st the shortest day?

It still is.

But the time the sun starts returning North varies slightly from year to year.

We need someone on the forum who can explain it better as astronomy is not one of my top subjects?

rgds billdango.

[Conifers]

It isn't the 21st every year, due to the year being 365¼ days long - the precise time of the southernmost point (and shortest day) creeps forward by a quarter of a day each year and gets into 22nd, until a leap year (next year) pushes it back to 21st.

There's also other small variations due to eccentricity in the Earth's orbit, perturbations by the moon and other planets, etc., but the above one is the main one.

[flounder]

Great, clear as mud
I thought the pagan fertility ritual of dancing round a great big phallic structure was done in late spring early summer

[Springy]

I thought the pagan fertility ritual of dancing round a great big phallic structure was done in late spring early summer

Happens every night in our house! Want an invite?!!

[stephenprudence]