May 1, 2008
Here is what the earth looked like at around 12:30 a.m., May 1, and the picture above is what it looked like on March 25, just a few days after the vernal equinox. I'm going to record the pattern of the sun's light on the earth for a full 12 months, beginning at the first of the month, along with the addition of the summer and winter solstices and the vernal and autumnal equinox.
I think it's just too cool to see how the light changes. Notice that the north pole is constantly bathed in light now, and how the south pole is shrouded in darkness. You can see in the curvature of the light how the nights are getting longer for those in the southern hemisphere and for us in the northern hemisphere how our days are getting longer. The sweep of the dome will be much more severe on the summer solstice, on June 21, the longest day of the year for us.
I love the annual march towards the summer solstice, and the corresponding lengthening days.
1 comment:
I like watching this too, though I forget to look at it for weeks on end. I did see it in the deep winter and got seriously depressed. This time of the year is much more to my taste.
Post a Comment