Beginning of Summer: Four Google Summer Solstice Logos & Stonehenge Pilgrimmage
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on June 21, 2010
June 21 marks the summer solstice. Google celebrates the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere (or, for those living in the southern hemisphere, the beginning of winter) with a series of four special logos.
If you go to the search engine home page and click the initial logo graphic, the others will be revealed, as shown below:
Information about the summer solstice from About.com Geography:
June 20-21 is a very important day for our planet and its relationship with the sun. June 20-21 is one of two solstices, days when the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. June 21 marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and simultaneously heralds the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere. In 2010, the solstice occurs and summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere summer begins early on June 21, at 7:28 a.m. EDT (11:28 UTC).
Stonehenge is already busy…
From Telegraph, Thousands gather at Stonehenge for Summer Solstice:
Thousands of Summer Solstice revellers gathered at Stonehenge to watch dawn break on the longest day of the year. The solstice annually attracts an eclectic mix – Druids, hippies, sun worshippers and those who are curious to experience the ancient festival.
Nearly 20,000 people attended the event, with 15 arrests overnight for minor public disorder, a Wiltshire Police spokesman said.
As the sun rose at 0452, a cheer went up from those gathered overnight at the stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
The crowds were treated to clear views of the sunrise – previous years have seen the spectacle obscured by mist and cloud.
Last year a record 36,500 revellers attended, causing traffic chaos and road closures.
From YouTube contributor KurdstanPlanetarium:
At the Tropic of Cancer (23°26′N) and all points to the north, and at the Tropic of Capricorn (23°26′S) and all points to the south, the sun reaches its highest position in the sky on the day of the Summer Solstice. However, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, the highest sun position does not occur at the Summer Solstice, since the sun reaches the zenith here and it does so at different times of the year depending on the latitude of the observer. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the Summer Solstice occurs some time between December 21 and December 22 each year in the Southern Hemisphere, and between June 20 and June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere.
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of sign of the fertility, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.
The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).
Summer Solstice 2010
For your jazz listening pleasure, the next video is of the new Azar Lawrence sextet release, Mystic Journey. This is a new take on “Summer Solstice,” the title track of Azar’s 1975 album on Prestige.
Azar Lawrence – “Summer Solstice”
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Beginning of Summer: Four Google Summer Solstice Logos ……
Beginning of Summer: Four Google Summer Solstice Logos ……