
In China, the Donghzi Festival takes place on the winter solstice when families get together for a special feast. This amounts to 8 hours and 57 minutes of daylight for December 21st.
A Doodle marking the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere was also released featuring the same mouse reading a book inside his home before getting distracted by a bright beam of sunlight that enters his domain due to a bird.
Solstices and equinoxes are often viewed as spiritual timesWhat's the difference between a solstice and an equinox? The four seasons are based on the Earth's tilt and the Sun's alignment over the Equator. Say goodbye to shorter days, and ever so slowly start to welcome back more sun as the winter solstice arrives on Thursday.
With the celestial body's rays cast on the distant Tropic of Capricorn while the North Pole lies cloaked in shadow, the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere find themselves doomed to several months of long dark nights and low temperatures. "The extra 30 seconds of a solar day makes true solar noon - and sunrise and sunset - about 30 seconds later each day". This line is tilted 23.5° from Earth's orbital path around the Sun.
One of the most famous solstice celebrations occurs at the ancient Stonehenge ruins in Wiltshire, England, where druids, pagans and other revelers gather each year to celebrate the event. It typically occurs around Dec. 21 or 22, though on rare occasions it can be as early as Dec. 20 or as late as Dec. 23, according to the Weather Channel.
Image source Asian Bistro
It is not the coldest days of winter, as the northern hemisphere continues to lose more heat than it gains. It's a yearly astronomical turning point that humans have celebrated for millennia (just think Stonehenge or the ancient Maya). After today, we slowly begin our climb back up the hill with days getting a touch longer every single day until we see almost the same amount of day and night on March 20th, 2018 for the spring equinox.
This delay in the arrival of our coldest temperatures is better known as seasonal lag.
Get ready, Thursday night is going to be a long one.
So far we have only considered the tilt of the Earth.
You may have noticed the sun deeper toward the southern horizon through the fall.
The WWE Just Announced An Historic All-Women Royal Rumble Match
As Stephanie McMahon said, a women's Royal Rumble is long overdue and should provide for some great entertainment. That being said, plans always change so don't be surprised if John Cena returns to win again.
Related News:
-
Blake Shelton Takes Home Sixth Win on 'The Voice'
Kohanski beat Team Adam Levine's Addison Agen , Team Miley Cyrus' Brooke Simpson and fellow Team Shelton member Red Marlow . Shelton and Jennifer Hudson both swooped in to offer Kohanski a spot on their teams, and Kohanski chose Shelton.Significant cold coming our way and will last through Christmas
Sunday (Christmas Eve ), may start out with lows close to zero, while the afternoon highs barely reach the upper 20's or low 30's. The weather for Monday is expected to be stormy due to a strong southwest wind, but relatively mild, the weather service reports.Shinee singer Kim Jong-hyun: K-pop boy band superstar dies
The group, formed by SM Entertainment , shot to fame after the release of their debut EP, Replay, in 2008. Kim released his first solo album in 2015 that reached number one on the Billboard World Albums chart. -
Apple plans to unify iOS, Mac apps next year
To combat this polarizing situation on both platforms, it is being reported that Apple will allow iOS apps to work on macOS. Apple fans will have access to apps that work on both macOS and iOS, from next year, according to a report on Wednesday .Idaho tops list of fastest-growing states
Many neighboring states, like Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and MI , all saw moderate population gains during the same period. Net global migration decreased 1.8 percent between 2016 and 2017, making it the first drop since 2012-2013.Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova Are Parents of Twins
This news will come as a surprise to many fans of the low-key couple, who managed to keep the pregnancy private for nine months! The couple met in 2001 when the tennis star appeared in the singer's music video for " Escape ". -
Flu cases on the rise in Montana
Meanwhile, Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH) reported its first flu death of the season on December 13, 2017. A press release by MCMC stated that influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death.Disney Releases First Trailer for 'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms'
Helen Mirren also joins the film as the regent for the Fourth Tyrant, where Clara must go in order to retrieve the coveted key. Grant and ballet stars Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin also feature in the cast.Supporting BB10 and BBOS Customers and Rewarding Your Loyalty
Third, should a critical vulnerability be exposed we will engage our partners as needed to develop and deliver necessary patches . It also had a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is something that has to be mentioned separately nowadays (sigh). -
Fla. officer dragged half a mile by fleeing suspect's auto
Police say the officer, Jon Cusack , arrived at the scene of a vehicle which had two people either asleep or unconscious inside. According to the Pembroke Pines Police Department, Cusak was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.New Flu Vaccine Guidelines Issued for Patients With Egg Allergy
Last year, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics both relaxed their flu shot guidelines for patients with egg allergies. Health officials say an annual flu vaccine for everyone six months and older is the best prevention against the getting the flu.USA blames North Korea for major cyber attack
Bossert called on governments and businesses to come together to reduce the risks of cyber attacks and for harsher punishments. However, he also launched into various allegations against other countries.