Tomorrow is Winter in the Northern Hemisphere

Posted Thursday, December 18, 2008, at 4:12 PM

The earth's north-south axis is tilted 23 1/2 degrees with respect to its orbit around the Sun. It, therefore, tilts its northern half 23 1/2 degrees toward the Sun once a year (the first day of Summer), and away from the Sun once a year (the first day of Winter, which is 6:04 AM Central Standard Time tomorrow, December 19). At the equinoxes (Spring or Vernal, and Autumnal), the Sun is right over the Earth's equator), and the day is equal in length to the night.

All the planets are tilted somewhat from their orbit around the Sun, which creates seasons there. Millions of years ago, a planetary sized object probably hit the 7th planet from the Sun, Uranus (pronounced, by the way, YOUR-un-us) and knocked it over on its side, over 90 degrees from the Sun. Part of the time, the north and south poles are almost directly facing the Sun. Seasons there are obviously very strange.

Merry Christmas to everyone (which, by the way, was about 100 degrees Farhenheit for my cousin when he lived in Alice Springs, Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, which is now tilted toward the Sun).

NASA and space exploration

By Kenneth Renshaw

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Kenneth Renshaw NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador/Saturn Observation Campaign Kenneth is one of 494 volunteer educators and astronomers who donate their time to educate America's youth, and the general public, about astronomy and the U.S. space program. Organized in 1999 by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab,it focuses on spacecraft built by the JPL such as Voyager, Mars Rover, Galileo, Cassini as well as the Hubble Space Telescope. Renshaw is one of four ambassadors in Arkansas, and makes presentations to all age and experience groups from pre-school to university science level. His official NASA website it www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Kenneth_Renshaw.htm His email address is renshaw@newwavecomm.net

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