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Credit & Copyright: Goran Strand
Explanation:
Happy Solstice!
Today
is the December solstice,
marking an astronomical beginning of
summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the north.
On its yearly trek through planet Earth's skies,
at this solstice the Sun reaches its southern most declination,
23.5
degrees
south, at 21:48
UTC.
About 4 days ago the Sun was near this seasonal southern limit and so only just
above the horizon at local noon over Ostersund in central Sweden.
This view looking over the far northern lakeside city finds the midday
Sun with a beautiful
solar ice halo.
Naturally occurring
atmospheric ice crystals
can produce the
tantalizing halo displays,
refracting and reflecting the sunlight through their hexagonal geometry.
Still, with the Sun low and near the horizon in the clear sky,
likely sources of the ice crystals producing this
intense halo are snow cannons.
Operating at a local ski area, the snowmaking machines create
a visible plume at the top of the nearby island Froson toward
the right side of the panorama.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: solstice
Publications with words: solstice
See also: