Today is the spring equinox, when the night is just as long as the day. Normally the equinox falls on March 21, but because this year was a leap year it has shifted back a day. It will slowly shift forward to the 21st over the next three years.
In the winter the earth’s axis is tilted away from the sun. In the summer, it’s tilted towards the sun. Today, the earth’s axis is tilted exactly sideways relative to the sun; neither towards it nor away.
If you were at either pole today, you would see the sun skimming the horizon, all the way around without moving up or down at all.
If you were at the equator you would see the sun rise directly in the east, rise straight over head, then set directly in the west.
Happy Equinox!
2 responses so far ↓
1 Richard // Mar 20, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Sitting here in the desert and watching the sun strike my solar panels has given me a reason to notice the angle much more than ever before. My panels tilt to allow maximum exposure and I have already lowered the angle from where it was when we first arrived. In the summertime we leave them flat on the roof and get full power.
2 Donna // Mar 21, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Ahhh, spring! Such beautiful days.