A Still Sun: Solstice Stories скачать в хорошем качестве

A Still Sun: Solstice Stories

We'll have live streams from the Slooh Solar Telescope at their flagship observatory at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands. Join Paul Cox on the 21st for fellowship and stories as he brings a little light back into the shortest day of the year Winter Solstice: the briefest daily serving of sunlight in the entire year - we mark the event because after solstice, the darkness in each day will slowly begin to decrease in the Northern Hemisphere. On this, "the year's midnight", the Sun appears to pause. In fact, the word solstice was formed from the Latin for "still sun" (sol meaning "sun" and sistere "to stand still"), acknowledging this phenomenon. As we approach winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun's daily path across the horizon switches from southward to northward, so a few days before and after the Winter Solstice, the change in the Sun's position is so minor as to make it appear stationary. Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk…. Excerpt from "A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day", by John Donne