Caracas, December 21, 2014 .- This Sunday is the longest in the Southern Hemisphere shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the day of the winter solstice and summer solstice , an astronomical event related to the tilt of the Earth on its axis and its motion and orbit around the Sun, as defined by the website earthsky.org.
The Faculty of Spatial Sciences Honduras emphasizes that the winter solstice “causes the day has fewer hours of light for those who live in the northern hemisphere, and otherwise for the southern hemisphere, which is the day with the most hours of clarity, “according to a report in The Herald.
The head of the National Astronomical Observatory (IGN) of Spain, Rafael Bachiller, in a special study published in the journal World , explains why: “The hard winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and Summer in the South, on 22 December at 0h3m, Eastern Time. That is when the Sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn in its southernmost position possible. The location of the Sun at noon does not change appreciably in the sky for several days, and then comes the term ‘solstice’ meaning ‘sun still’. That day, the shortest of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. “
However, he adds,” oddly enough, the shortest day of the year is not the day the sun rises later and sets earlier. ” This is because “the Earth’s orbit is an ellipse and the axis of this ellipse has nothing to do with the tilt of Earth’s axis defining seasons”. This winter “will last 88 days and 23 hours and end on March 20, 2015, when a solar eclipse will occur”.
The Earth, remember Bachelor, will be closer to the Sun on January 4, 2015, when “about 147 million kilometers from the Sun”.
In this particular work the researcher stresses that December is “the perfect month to observe one of the Orion: most beautiful and brightest constellations in the sky. It is a constellation that can be observed from both the Northern Hemisphere and from the South, which has been known by cultures around the globe. “ Orion ” are some of the interstellar nebulae Great, great clouds of gas and dust that cover almost the entire constellation. Are about 1,500 light years from Earth and are the closest region of massive star formation can be seen. “
Among esquinoccios and solstice
In the course of a year, “the sun is located just above the Earth Ecuador twice: the March equinox and the September equinox” summarizes work of the Research Center for Astronomy (CIDA) of Merida state.
“The word equinox comes from the ancient Latin and refers to the” equal night “because only this time the day and night are of equal length. At the time of the equinox the center of the Sun passes through the celestial Ecuador in its apparent annual movement that places him from the 23 and a half degrees north to 23 degrees south and a half. “
The seasons are a consequence the rotation of the Earth on its axis of rotation and its movement around the sun. “As the axis of rotation of the Earth is inclined 23.44 degrees to the plane of its orbit around the Sol (ecliptic) , this causes, for example, that in the summer the Earth’s northern pole is tilted toward the sun and the northern hemisphere receives more sunlight than the southern hemisphere, “highlights the institution. This situation “is reversed in the winter. These endpoints are known as solstices and mark the beginning of summer or winter depending on the hemisphere in which we live. “
During the time of the solstices” in areas located near the poles Sun or never sets or never rises. For example, in the December solstice the North Pole is in permanent night while in the South Pole the sun never sets “.
It is only a matter of astronomy
But like National Geographic remembers the solstice is not just a matter of astronomy. “Since ancient times the solstices have greatly influenced the cultures and religious traditions, so it is no coincidence that modern festivities overlap with pagan celebrations” he confirms.
Different Cultures throughout history have taken the solstice as a propitious moment for renewal and celebration of life. / LFA
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