Comments on: Summer solstice 2011

By: Philippec

Philippec — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:22:10 +0000

Beautiful pictures, especially the ones in negative Hydrogen.

But I think this solstice happens in 2011, not in 2001……

By: mike burkhart

mike burkhart — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:25:48 +0000

There is still this misconception that the seasions have to do with the Earth distance form the sun , I think it will be some time before we get rid of it.If they did have to do with the Earth distance from the sun then summer would be hotter and winter would be colder.

By: properjob

properjob — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:28:59 +0000

Lovely to hear the Sun is enthralled by its own magnetic field! it’s probably ‘in thrall’ too?
Stunning pics BadAst and great tweets keep em coming

By: properjob

properjob — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:27:35 +0000

Lovely to hear the Sun is enthralled by its own magnetic field! it’s probaly ‘in thrall’ too?
Stunning pics BadAst and great tweets keep em coming

By: Keith Bowden

Keith Bowden — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:48:45 +0000

Happy solstice… now, let’s move in closer to the sun, shall we?

By: Pete Jackson

Pete Jackson — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:18:45 +0000

Your readers in Australia and other southern hemisphere countries will be calling this the winter solstice when you want to call it the summer solstice. More universal terms are ‘northern solstice’ and ‘southern solstice’ which works in both hemispheres, in all calendars, and on Mars as well!

So June 21 is the day of the northern solstice.

By: Michel

Michel — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:54:00 +0000

@MTU
And that´s what they call a glorious day etc…
But serious. Stinks. When I die I never get to see…
And I always want to see what´s next. The other side of the mountain.
The green over there. You know.
grmbl

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:33:35 +0000

I, for one, am in favor of switching to the cross-quarter days as the start of the seasons.
Just makes more sense.

By: Monicks

Monicks — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:27:11 +0000

Happy Summer Solstice, Dr. Plait! Amazing compilation of pictures of the sun. Thank you! (◕‿◕)’

By: JMW

JMW — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:10:59 +0000

@4. QuietDesperation Says:
Will I get an article about the equinox if I multiply it by i?

I imagine so.

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:35:27 +0000

@^ Michel : Well, eventually, one day, yeah! Hopefully much later rather than sooner but that’s the reality of being human.

By: Michel

Michel — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:19:59 +0000

AAAARRRRRGGGHHH A Spotless Solstice… Two lunar eclipses this year…
We´re going to die huh?

By: JohnM

JohnM — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:14:21 +0000

We’re only halfway through summer? Ugh. Here in Texas, we’re going through our second serious drought in three years, and locally have broken or tied high temp records (all over 100 F) for something like 9 of the last 10 days, a good 10-12 (or more) degrees above normal.

And this is during what is usually the mildest part of our summer… Come on hurricane season!

By: ceramicfundamentalist

ceramicfundamentalist — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:16:36 +0000

“this day marks the start (or more commonly the midpoint) of summer”

that’s hard to believe around these parts. it’s currently 6 C with fog and drizzle where i am. “summer” doesn’t usually start until the middle of july here (but oh what a summer it is!), and it usually lasts until october. i guess it’s all a matter of perspective and prevailing weather patterns.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:15:31 +0000

@#4: Either that, or an article busting the myth about how the solstice is the only day of the year that you can’t balance an egg on its end.

By: QuietDesperation

QuietDesperation — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:10:07 +0000

It might be easier just to multiply the entire article by -1.

Will I get an article about the equinox if I multiply it by i?

By: Arik Rice

Arik Rice — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:35:57 +0000

The Sun in negative hydrogen looks almost like a human egg cell.

By: Georg

Georg — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:17:29 +0000

“Or stand on your head.”

Or have a trip to those dangling down their heads all the time “down under”.

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:55:51 +0000

What you’re seeing is the limb of the Earth taking a bite out of the Sun!

So our Earth has a limb that can bite – without teeth or tongue – across 150 million kilometers (or by definition 1 AU) but while it eats it does not consume and returns all to how it was before?There’s a riddle in there somewhere.

This moment is the summer solstice

Not in Oz it aint!

(As I’m sure the BA knows.)

We call it the “Winter solstice” here but then you folks *are* upside down I guess!

Oh well, Happy Solstice to everyone anyhow!