Winter Solstice?! Never heard of that..actually never heard before that 'today is the first day of winter'.
I was watching news today evening, the anchor was rambling on and on about the health care bill that got signed this morning, how fair or unfair the voting procedure was, pork to the senators..blah blah blah...and in all this rambling, there popped up the catch phrase - 'first day of winter'! I wondered what is it or when it is and googled for it. Turns out there is good amount of scientific significance to calling Dec 22nd of every year the official day of winter. Wiki quotes: "The Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26' ". This is the day when the day is shortest and night is longest in the Northern Hemisphere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
Reading through the article was like recalling the science lesson in school. Helps to learn terms and brush up memory sometimes, though all I know or care for now...T'is the Holiday season and I am looking forward to my looong vacation!! :)
i skipped this question in my 5th grade :)
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