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Summer Solstice 2011: Longest Day Of Year On June 21

Today, June 21, is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it's the longest day of the year in 2011.

According to USA Today, the summer solstice occurs when the sun is the farthest north in the sky, directly above the Tropic of Cancer. The exact moment of the solstice today will occur at 1:16 p.m. ET.

While some consider the summer solstice as the beginning of summer, many actually regard it as midsummer, though the definition varies between different regions and cultures. In the Southern Hemisphere, today actually marks the 2011 winter solstice. These seasons will again be flipped between the hemispheres on December 22, when the second solstice of the year occurs (winter for Northern Hemisphere, and summer for Southern Hemisphere).

From About.com:

On June 21, there are 24 hours of daylight north of the Arctic Circle (66.5° north of the equator) and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5° south of the equator). The sun's rays are directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer (the latitude line at 23.5° north, passing through Mexico, Saharan Africa, and India) on June 21.

Although it's the longest day of the year, it usually isn't the warmest, International Business Times reports.

From IBT:

The Sun's angle is high before and after the summer solstice with a maximum number of daylight minutes. As the Sun begins to move lower in the sky, the length of daylight decreases, National Weather Service says.

For example, in New Mexico's Albuquerque, the maximum daily temperature occurs nearly 3 weeks later in mid July. This lag in temperature occurs because even though the minutes of daylight are decreasing, Earth's surface and atmosphere continues to receive more energy than just what it receives from the Sun. Average temperatures continue to climb until the Sun drops lower in the sky.

Many different people around the world celebrate the solstices, including a large gathering that happens every year at Stonehenge. This year, around 18,000 people were present at Stonehenge to witness the sunrise on the summer solstice, AP reports.

Even Google is celebrating the summer solstice with today's Google Doodle. According to Mashable.com, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami created the colorful logo, likewise making a winter version for those south of the equator.

Do you celebrate the summer solstice? Let us know your plans for the longest day of the year in the comments.

Russian cosmonaut wants Yuri Gagarin monument in city

                  




Russian cosmonaut Viktor Savinykh, 71, who has flown in three space flights, would like to see a monument of the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, in the city. “Yuri Gagarin was a great man. Moreover, he also visited Mumbai. If that (monument) happens, I would come for its inauguration and I am will ing to help in every possible way,” said Savinykh on Thursday at the Nehru Centre, Worli. Savinykh was in the city to deliver a special space science lecture on the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight.

Last month, the Russian consulate had written to the state government requesting that the new Lalbaug flyover be named after Gagarin. “If not a monument, at least name the flyover after him. In Russia, there are so many roads and places named in honour of great Indian figures,” added Savinykh.

Savinykh, who has been decorated twice as the Hero of the Soviet Union, spoke about how governments across the world must come together to launch space exploration programmes.

“Our space odyssey is gone so far that we can now go to Mars. We need a team to make equipment and technology. Every thing cannot be done by one country alone,” he said.

Addressing students, parents and senior citizens, Savinykh said the space flights made him knowledgeable about pollution on the Earth. “From outer space, the Earth is not just beautiful but also has polluted spots. It makes a pilot understand that one needs to do more to control pollution and protect the environment,” he added.

From speaking on effects of low gravity on the body to the training programmes he underwent, Savinykh also spoke of how cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma’s space flight gave a fillip to India’s space science programme.

“But what’s good about space is that you get out of a sleeping bag and you are at work. Seventy five days is a relaxing regime,” he said.

On being asked about radiation exposure in space, Savinykh said, “I received less radiation in space as compared to my training while undergoing X-rays for various tests.”

NASA films incredible solar flare 2011: Video of unique sun explosion

An unusual solar flare observed by a NASA space observatory on Tuesday could cause some disruptions to satellite communications and power on Earth over the next day or so, officials said. The potent blast from the Sun unleashed a firestorm of radiation on a level not witnessed since 2006, and will likely lead to moderate geomagnetic storm activity by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

New Nintendo console: Wii U - Fact Sheet

Launches: 2012

Size: Approximately 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long.

New Controller: The new controller incorporates a 6.2-inch, 16:9 touch screen and traditional button controls, including two analog Circle Pads. This combination removes the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV by creating a second window into the video game world. The rechargeable controller includes a Power button, Home button, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons. It includes a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble feature, camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, a sensor strip and a stylus.

Other Controls: Up to four Wii Remote™ (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once. The new console supports all Wii™ controllers and input devices, including the Nunchuk™ controller, Classic Controller™, Classic Controller Pro™ and Wii Balance Board™.

Media: A single self-loading media bay will play 12-centimeter proprietary high-density optical discs for the new console, as well as 12-centimeter Wii optical discs.

Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Compatible cables include HDMI, component, S-video and composite.

Audio Output: Uses AV Multi Out connector. Six-channel PCM linear output through HDMI.

Storage: The console will have internal flash memory, as well as the option to expand its memory using either an SD memory card or an external USB hard disk drive.

CPU: IBM Power®-based multi-core microprocessor.

Other: Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.

(Taken from the Nintendo E3 2011 Press Release)

Games announced: Smash Brothers, Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon Online, Darksiders II, Dirt, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Metro: Last Light, Tekken, Ninja Gaiden 3, FIFA 12, Madden 12, Driver, Lego City Stories

Other facts: 

• The price point of the system will be competitive to the current prices of the PS3, 360 in terms of value
• The games shown for Wii U at the show were actually PS3 and 360 versions but the Wii U will look the same or better
• No BluRay Support
• Controller's screen is single-touch
• Backwards compatible with the Wii's Games, but no upscaling is done
• Nintendo Online system to be announced by the end of the week

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