Answer 22 December 2011
I've just been outside and it's extremely dark. There's no moon tonight and there's drizzle in the wind after a dreary wet day.
I'm not really complaining because so far it's been a very kind autumn and early winter.
We've probably only had three frosts and no more than -1C minimum temperature.
The even better news is that from tomorrow (22 December) days start to draw out again:)
A bit about the winter solstice:
The winter solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's polar hemisphere is farthest away from the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. More evidently from high latitudes, a hemisphere's winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest.[2] Since the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, other terms are often used for the day on which it occurs, such as midwinter, the longest night or the first day of winter.
The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice usually occurs on December 21 to 23 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 to 23 in the Southern Hemisphere.[3]
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings,rituals or other celebrations around that time.[4]
Source:Wikipedia
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Replies
The older I get the more I loath the long dark nights and long for longer, lighter days...can't happen soon enough.
But as you say Phil it has been a very kind autumn/winter so far. Our Citrus plants are bursting into flower, it's going to be a bumper crop this year. New culms on the Bamboos are forming. The Olives have new leaf growing...it's as if we are already in spring.
Let's hope it's not been too kind Richard.
I was talking to the farmer who works the land around our house and he says that if it's warm at Christmas then we are in for a cold spring.
Rowly, I've noticed that when it's mild the evenings tend to linger...or is that my imagination?
Richard Boyd said:
personaly i dont mind it being warmish and a cold spring just as long as it starts to dry up because having to work in the wet damp weather and sticky mud all over my tools and boots is starting to drive me mad