Mission? Visiting family for Christmas
Today is December 21st, otherwise known as the first day of winter. It is also the time of year when you start seeing commercials for the Chia Pet. Cha cha cha cha CHIA! That aside, the winter solstice is the day when the earth tilts at 26 degrees 26 seconds reaching its maximum angle away from the sun. What this means for us in the states is the suns rays strike the earth at its sharpest angle, meaning the rays are spread out over a larger distance. This is why, generally speaking, our side of the planet doesn't heat up in the winter. Since we are a round blue ball, the poles always receive the suns rays at sharper angles all year round, and thus doesn't heat up much. Under the same rule, the equator pretty much receives blunt angles of sunlight all year round resulting in year round balmy temperatures. All of this is represented in the graphic below.
As I reported earlier, I'm going to start adding a "Blast From the Past" picture at the end of my blog posts for the foreseeable future. Since arriving on the east coast, I've accessed all my old pictures I've accrued over the years. It is funny, and quite logical, that the older one gets the more history is produced. I wonder what the human desire to leave a legacy is all about. Any psychologists out there what to chime in and tell us what is up with that?
Blast From the Past
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| USCGC Polar Sea in the southern ocean 1989 |
I took this picture when Polar Sea was on its way to Antarctica. The seas south of New Zealand and Australia were always huge. I shot this as all three of us were in utter shock that the ocean was coming aboard. All three of us almost went overboard. We surely would have perished. Surprisingly my little Vivitar camera was not damaged, other than a small dent. Dan Boller on the right didn't even know the wave was a comin!
Capt Chris
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