It's the Solstice!

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 20 2011 9:43 pm

On the 21st at 10:30 PM Mountain Time, or 22:30, or 5:30 AM UTC (December 22nd, officially), it will be the solstice. Get out there and enjoy it. ;)

Just in time, too, as I'm sick and tired of winter. What? You say there are 3 more months of it? Aaawwww!

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Dec 20 2011 11:15 pm

I love the turn of the year. The half of the year when the days are lengthening is definitely better for my cheerfulness scale than the other half of the year.

chumley · Post by **chumley** » Dec 21 2011 9:59 am

Informative reading from the NWS Phoenix office:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
921 AM MST WED DEC 21 2011

...THE WINTER SOLSTICE OCCURS TODAY...21 DECEMBER...AT 1030 PM...

THE WINTER SOLSTICE OCCURS WHEN THE SUN REACHES ITS SOUTHERN MOST
LATITUDE OF THE YEAR AT 1030 PM MST THIS EVENING. THIS IS WHEN THE
SUN WILL BE DIRECTLY OVER THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN IN THE SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE AT 23 1/2 DEGREES LATITUDE SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR. IT WILL
BE PRECISELY 1030 PM MST THIS EVENING WHEN THE SUN ENDS ITS 6 MONTH
JOURNEY SOUTH AND BEGINS ITS 6 MONTH JOURNEY NORTH.

THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE LONGEST SHADOWS ARE CAST BY OBJECTS
IN THE SUNSHINE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE. AT 1226 PM MST THIS
AFTERNOON WHICH IS SOLAR NOON IN PHOENIX...THE SUN WILL BE AT ITS
LOWEST ANGLE OF THE YEAR WHEN DIRECTLY SOUTH IN THE SKY. THIS ANGLE
IS 33 DEGREES ABOVE THE SOUTHERN HORIZON IN PHOENIX.

TODAY IS THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR. IN PHOENIX...THERE ARE 9 HOURS
AND 56 MINUTES FROM SUNRISE AT 728 AM THIS MORNING TO SUNSET AT
524 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON.

NOTE...

WINTER HAS BEEN UNDERWAY AT LEAST SINCE 1 DECEMBER. THE OFFICIAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEFINITION OF WINTER IS FROM THE 1ST DAY IN
DECEMBER TO THE LAST DAY IN FEBURARY. ON AVERAGE...THE COLDEST
3 MONTH PERIOD IN THE YEAR IN PHOENIX IS FROM ABOUT THE 23RD OF
NOVEMBER UNTIL ABOUT THE 23RD OF FEBRUARY. THUS...WINTER BEGINS
MUCH EARLIER THAN THE WINTER SOLSTICE.

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Dec 21 2011 10:30 pm

10:30pm MST is about... NOW!

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 22 2011 9:20 am

The solstice has passed, more or less, and we head towards summer. Nearly 6 months of waxing day length1

I agree about Meteorological seasons. The solar seasons don't always match the weather associated with them, though in NJ and in Flagstaff, it seemed like Summer did match the solar season. Winter seems to come earlier, and last longer than the solar season. Either way, my excitement is regarding the increasing day length and height of the sun in the sky.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 20 2012 10:21 am

Happy Solstice2012, everyone! It's tomorrow 12/21 at 0421 AM MST. We're at the bottom of the sine curve!

autumnstars · Post by **autumnstars** » Dec 20 2012 1:31 pm

Thank goodness!
Let's get those longer days coming.

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Dec 20 2012 2:48 pm

autumnstars wrote:Thank goodness!
Let's get those longer days coming.

Maybe the AZ legislature can take some action to keep them from getting so short in the first place.

SuperstitionGuy · Post by **SuperstitionGuy** » Dec 20 2012 3:12 pm

big_load wrote:Maybe the AZ legislature can take some action to keep them from getting so short in the first place.

I thought Al Gore was in charge of that? ;)

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Dec 20 2012 3:18 pm

SuperstitionGuy wrote:
big_load wrote:Maybe the AZ legislature can take some action to keep them from getting so short in the first place.
I thought Al Gore was in charge of that? ;)

I think he's pushing in the opposite direction.

chumley · Post by **chumley** » Dec 20 2012 3:30 pm

Jim_H wrote:We're at the bottom of the sine curve!

I thinks that's what the Mayans said. Only there's no going back up.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 22 2012 10:01 am

chumley wrote:
Jim_H wrote:We're at the bottom of the sine curve!
I thinks that's what the Mayans said. Only there's no going back up.

I believe that would make it an exponential decay curve.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Dec 24 2012 12:02 pm

I'm in SoCal. The true home of all Those People.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 25 2012 9:40 am

azbackpackr wrote:I'm in SoCal. The true home of all Those People.

Actually, my experience has been that they tend to come from back east.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 14 2014 11:20 am

It is just about that time, folks. The Winter Solstice will soon be here. Basically, we're about there, with a 1/10th a of a degree difference between solar noon today and next week when it happens. Solar Noon in Tucson has the sun just above 34 degrees on the horizon.

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Dec 14 2014 4:42 pm

Winter Solstice is a hypothetical event in NJ. With the annual winter overcast well underway, we have to take celestial happenings on faith.

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Dec 14 2014 6:38 pm

Yay, days will be getting longer. It's my favorite time of year in the desert. Flowers start blooming, etc. etc. However, November and December have generally been nice here at 495 feet above sea level.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Dec 14 2014 7:20 pm

Yes, it will be nice to start having longer and warmer days. I feel like I'm in NJ, here, with these chilly temps.

rwstorm · Post by **rwstorm** » Dec 14 2014 8:25 pm

Jim_H wrote:longer and warmer days

That won't happen until late February (talking temperature here) with the lag factor. The coldest is likely yet to come. ;)

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » Dec 14 2014 8:31 pm

Hope I don't have to start wearing shoes.

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