Rmond @Rmond@qoto.org

Testing a speculation: The shadow of the full moon at midnight around the Winter Solstice should be in the same place as the shadow of the sun at noon on the Summer Solstice.

Result: Yes, pretty close! (dim, overprocessed pic, taken a half-hour before midnight)

#solstice #WinterSolstice #astronomy

6 months ago, I started a project that I've bneen thinking about for years.
I'm a scientist at heart, and have learned things mostly from reading.
The question often arises: What have I actually seen and measured myself? Lots of things, but now that I'm living in a permanent spot on the Earth, this project came to mind.

Just before the last Summer Solstice, I planted a post and set a 35 cm wide concrete disc on it horizontally. In the center, I drilled a hole and set a 10 cm high brass pin, sighted from that to the horizon at sunrise, and set another pin on the edge. Repeating that process at sunset, I ended up with the beginnings of a sundial.

I'm not marking hours, weeks or months, as those don't actually exist. This will show only what's actually happening in the interaction of sun and earth from direct observation.

This evening was clear, so I made a mark for the Winter Solstice sunset. I may have to wait another year to mark the sunrise, as the mornings have been cloudy. When the temperature allows, I'll drill holes and set in more pins at the marks I'm making.

Why am I doing this? Art? Sort of. Science? Yes, in the sense of "do it and see what can be learned".

#Solstice #WinterSolstice #Astronomy