21 Dec 2012 the most susceptible part of humanity expected end of the world - ended the era in the Mayan calendar. In the Northern hemisphere the longest night of the year took on a mystical significance. The ancient priests were known astronomical phenomenon of the winter solstice, although understanding its causes, they could not.
A Complex astronomical system, which is part of the Earth, is unique. It is established that such concepts as "day" and "night," unknown to most of the planets outside of the Solar system. Large clusters of stars, typical of the center of the Galaxy, don't leave without the light of the planet and space objects that revolve around them. At any point on our planet when the Sun sinks below 18° below the horizon and astronomical night begins.
The Life of ancient man depended on nature, from its state, on the change of seasons. He quickly established a pattern in the traffic lights in the year between the duration favorable for farming periods of the height of the sun above the horizon. In middle and high Northern latitudes, where the lack of natural lighting is particularly notable, the longest night of the year meant that the darkest time of the year pass and the sun will be a little longer in the sky.
Solstice-a period when the changing direction of daily change of the highest point above the horizon, which comes to light in the middle of the day between sunrise and sunset. Such a change – ascent or descent – uneven, it slows down for a few days, when it seems that the sun at noon reaches almost the same height above the horizon. Hence the name of the days of the solstice.
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Winter and spring in the Northern hemisphere-the time when this culminating point rising higher and higher. Day and night become equal in duration to the day of the vernal equinox (about March 20), which means the onset of astronomical spring. The rise of the midday point reaches its climax on June 20-21, and the reverse process.
About 22 September equinox marks the beginning of autumn from the point of view of movement of Sun and Earth. Every day light time is one minute shorter until the longest night of the year-the winter solstice, the astronomical beginning of winter.
For each point on the surface of the globe has its own temporary and seasonal periods. To change the time of day and annual temperature cycles is affected by the turning of the Earth around the Sun and rotation of the planet around its axis. The axis of rotation is tilted 23.5°. Because of this, on the surface of the Northern hemisphere gets less direct sunlight, and the Northern polar regions for a long time they do not reach at all, and in winter, there is polar night sets in.
On a zero latitude-on the earth's equator – day length is fairly constant throughout the year and is about 12 hours. In the southern hemisphere the length of daylight has the opposite dependence on the time of year: the last days of September until the end of March it more than 12 hours in the spring and summer – less. The longest night of the year in southern latitudes falls on June 22.
Definition length of day and night always seemed important for the planning of economic activities of the people. In the Middle ages there were special devices, and the data on the duration of the time of day have been published in calendars and the calendar. On them you can always determine how long is the shortest day. Different systems of chronology adopted by different cultures, reforms calendar, correction of inconsistencies astronomical and civil time has meant that the winter solstice were annually distinguished by date.
Today, there are world time, in most European and American countries there is a Gregorian calendar, so to find out what number the longest night in the right area, you can in special tables. So, in 2016, the winter solstice-December 21, in 10 hours 44 minutes. The duration of the night in this day – 17 hours.
Since the Neolithic days of the solstice found expression in the rituals and buildings of different peoples. The famous stones of Stonehenge displayed in such a way to indicate the position of the sun in the day, which marks the beginning of astronomical winter.
In the Northern latitudes was a long waiting period of spring, is often the most difficult time of the year. Had to slaughter cattle, because they pasture disappeared, matured beer and wine, harvested in the fall. The beginning of winter was accompanied by the holidays. The Slavs – Kolyada, Solstice, among the Germans the day the longest night was celebrated Jodl.
The Important essence of this day people saw that the longest night is passed, the day will be added, and so there is hope for the revival of nature, the belief in everlasting life. Not accidentally bind to the winter solstice is the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
Article in other languages:
AR: https://tostpost.com/ar/education/15994-the-longest-night-of-the-year---the-winter-solstice.html
DE: https://tostpost.com/de/bildung/30798-die-l-ngste-nacht-des-jahres---wintersonnenwende.html
HI: https://tostpost.com/hi/education/17603-the-longest-night-of-the-year---the-winter-solstice.html
JA: https://tostpost.com/ja/education/15661-the-longest-night-of-the-year---the-winter-solstice.html
KK: https://tostpost.com/kk/b-l-m/31454-e-zyn-t-n---k-n-ys-y-k-n-shapa-y.html
PL: https://tostpost.com/pl/edukacja/32517-najd-u-sza-noc-w-roku---dzie-przesilenia-zimowego.html
PT: https://tostpost.com/pt/educa-o/32235-a-mais-longa-noite-do-ano---solst-cio-de-inverno.html
TR: https://tostpost.com/tr/e-itim/27835-en-uzun-gece-bu-y-l-k-g-nd-n-m.html
UK: https://tostpost.com/uk/osv-ta/31677-naydovsha-n-ch-u-roc---den-zimovogo-soncestoyannya.html
ZH: https://tostpost.com/zh/education/4187-the-longest-night-of-the-year---the-winter-solstice.html
Alin Trodden - author of the article, editor
"Hi, I'm Alin Trodden. I write texts, read books, and look for impressions. And I'm not bad at telling you about it. I am always happy to participate in interesting projects."
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