Comments on Mike Brown's Planets: Happy Solstice

Here is one that got away http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov...

2009-12-26T19:16:20.837-08:00

Here is one that got away

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2009+YE7&orb=1

"The spectacular winter skies are caused by t...

2009-12-23T01:17:27.004-08:00

"The spectacular winter skies are caused by the fact that we are looking straight in to the Milky Way galaxy"

What are you talking about? Orion is on the opposite side of the sky to the middle of the Milky Way.

We are looking out of the Milky Way in December. If you wanna look into the Milky Way, spend an August in the southern tropics.

My family does a very similar observance of the so...

2009-12-22T22:31:32.599-08:00

My family does a very similar observance of the solstice but with electric lights--to much fear of something catching fire.

The earliest sunset is not on the day of the solstice but around December 16. The latest sunrise is also not on the solstice; it occurs around January 8.

Greg, the IAU meeting wasn't held anywhere near the winter solstice or near the summer solstice. It was in August. Are you sure you aren't thinking of the whole 2012 nonsense?

Special Happy Holidays wish to a great set of friends--the entire Salit/Rosengarten family!

Happy Holiday's Brown Family...and OMGosh you&...

2009-12-22T20:11:47.174-08:00

Happy Holiday's Brown Family...and OMGosh you're brave to do the candles!

Kaden

Someone elsewhere commented that something signifi...

2009-12-22T18:59:21.611-08:00

Someone elsewhere commented that something significant happened with respect to the solstice at the same 2006 IAU meeting where Pluto was demoted. I can't find any reference to it, though. Anyone know what he might have been talking about? Thanks!

--Greg

Thanks BrianW. I suspected it was due to the non-...

2009-12-22T11:14:08.622-08:00

Thanks BrianW. I suspected it was due to the non-circular orbit. I spent most of my lunch break pouring over http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise_equation - now I guess I'll look at the equation of time!

The two measurements would synchronize if the eart...

2009-12-22T08:29:01.132-08:00

The two measurements would synchronize if the earth's orbit were perfectly circular, but it isn't. We move faster when we are closest to the sun (winter in N hemisphere), and slower when farthest away (summer in N hemisphere), AKA Kepler's laws. Well, one of them anyway. ;)

More details here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equation_of_time

Hi Mike, Your observations don't agree with mi...

2009-12-21T20:58:57.560-08:00

Hi Mike,
Your observations don't agree with mine, but I'm observing sunrise and sunset times, not locations. I have noticed that the sun does not set earliest on the solstice, but rather, the earliest setting time is about 10 days before the solstice. And the latest sunrise is something like 10 days after the solstice. I'd be delighted if you could explain this to me.

Great sentiment Mike~ Thanks for reprising - may ...

2009-12-21T19:29:09.288-08:00

Great sentiment Mike~

Thanks for reprising -
may this statement return
again someday.

~jack

http://vetmed.iastate.edu/isuqpcrconsultationservices

Good thing we're not in the Arctic circle! Alt...

2009-12-21T17:49:50.029-08:00

Good thing we're not in the Arctic circle! Although it would make for some good observing time