Daylight Deltas We have seasons on Earth because of our planet’s axial tilt. In relation to the ecliptic – the orbital path Earth takes around the Sun – we’re slanted just over 23 degrees from an “upright” position, based on the planet’s spinning axis. As we go around our star, this tilt causes one hemisphere […]
The Irish Calendar And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night of our solemnities. — Willam Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream We recently explored the differences between the typical, astronomical reckoning of seasons and the meteorological method. The former employs celestial geometry cues, while the latter depends on average
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Seasonal Lag In the previous article, we learned multiple ways exist to demarcate seasons on Earth. The traditional method of observing the change from one season to the next depends on the interplay between our planet’s axial tilt and the sun. One of the interesting aspects of this method presents at the solstices. The longest day
Meteorological Seasons vs. Astronomical Seasons In our investigation of the development of Leap Day, we learned the seasons would drift on our calendars if the intercalary date didn’t exist. One could argue that seasons – the result of axial tilt – are the most important planetary aspect of human existence. For millennia, in many places, people have planned
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The Autumnal Equinox Pumpkin spice permeates the air. Color creeps into the leaves. A favorite season for many people begins tomorrow – autumn. With all the fun of fall, unfortunately, comes the notion that, indeed, winter is coming. Daylight is slipping away. For those of us who loathe the lack of daytime in the winters, the autumnal
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