The Hindu : New Delhi News : You have a date with Winter Solstice today

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Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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You have a date with Winter Solstice today

Madhur Tankha

The day would be the shortest, the night longest of the year

NEW DELHI: Winter Solstice, which marks the year’s shortest day and longest night, falls this year today (Saturday).

The best place in Delhi for amateur astronomers to appreciate Winter Solstice is the historic Jantar Mantar that was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur to compile astronomical tables and predict the time and movement of the sun, the moon and the planets.

While the Niyat Chakra instruments are well suited to give an easy understanding of the annual movement of the sun in the sky, the bowl-shaped Jai Prakas, an astrological instrument that reflects the sky, originally had markings to delineate the position of the Tropic of Capricorn as well show the entry of the sun into a given Zodiacal sign or “rashi”.

The presence of these markings on the bowl-shaped instrument would be a very good alert for people to realise that there are these changing celestial positions all around them.

The Nehru Planetarium team will place temporary cross wires over the Jai Prakas and trace the position of the Sun throughout the day in the bowl.

According to Nehru Planetarium Director N. Rathnasree, conducting observations at Jantar Mantar on such celestially interesting days would also bring the observatory alive as an astronomy laboratory where celestial movements can be easily understood.

Explaining the scientific phenomenon, the Planetarium Director said Winter Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere is that time of the year when the sun has gone the maximum angular distance southward from the Equator that it can.

“The sun rises way south of East, and sets way south of West. The day is the shortest and the night longest. At the same time, it is Summer Solstice for the Southern Hemisphere.”

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