21 June 2013

The Summer Solstice!

The sun has just set here in California. For once I have officially checked to see when the sun sets on June 21st!

Since I was younger (around 2004-5) I have always wanted to see the exact time when the sun sets. But I'd always fail. Always. When I read The Great Gatsby, Daisy's quote resonated with me so perfectly that my goal was even more driven.

"In two weeks it will be the longest day of the year. Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it!" -Daisy Buchanan

But 2011 and 2012 passed, and I failed each time, forgetting that the 21st was the Solstice. But now?

I can officially say that this year, 2013, the sun rose at 5:41 and has set at...8:12 tonight. That's 15 hours and 31 minutes which is pretty long, I guess. The latitudes change. And since I'm around 35 degrees Longitude, that's why the day length is different. If it was in the equator it would be much different, I'm sure. And in the North there would hardly be any change because it's always cold up there with little change.

Just a quick note: today is not necessarily the longest day, it varies from year to year and day to day because the universe is perpetually random and always off. But tradition states that it is today. :)

-Rob

1 comment:

  1. I happened to be out camping on the night of the solstice. I fell asleep around 3AM, woke up multiple times throughout the night, and finally got up at 6:30AM. Due to the long lasting sun and the insanely bright moon, it was never even dark. :)

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