Well, it's now 21/12/2012, and here we still are... of course, we haven't been through the entire day yet, so there's still time for the world to end. But I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting. :rolleyes:
One thing I keep wondering about, though: crazy though it is, there are people out there who are seriously convinced that today is the end. What I'm wondering is, how will they explain it away when nothing happens?
One suggestion I heard was that whoever carved the Mayan tablet simply ran out of space to write more calendar! In fact this day is a solstice, and the Mayans were very well up in things astronomical and astrological and measured time by astronomic markers. This is apparently the end of one of the cycles. Interpretation is up to the enquirer and it causes a lot of excitement if it is seen as the end - of what, exactly, is not explained so people always think the worst! The day doesn't end until midnight on the Pacific date line, but like you Charis I am not holding my breath - too much to do!
Whatever happens, happy winter solstice to you all - whatever celebrations you observe at this time of year - and let's look forward to lengthening days again! 😉
Charis
Happy Solstice/Christmas/Season/New Year to everyone.
Love, Light, Health and Happiness to you all :nature-smiley-008:
[url]TWIN SUN TWO SUNS 2012. - YouTube[/url]
x dazzle x
[url]TWIN SUN TWO SUNS 2012. - YouTube[/url]
x dazzle x
Calm down dear... it's only a sun dog. :p You can see the pale rainbow colours in the "second sun" quite clearly in the video. If conditions were right, and the film maker had moved the camera an equal distance to the right of the "original" (i.e. real) sun, he most likely would have seen a THIRD "sun" - the other sun dog.
It's a natural phenomenon caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere - you can read here about how it happens: [url]Sun dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url] They are also known as "mock suns" or "phantom suns".
I saw a pair of sun dogs myself one afternoon a few months ago, while on a train in Wiltshire. They were a lovely sight, and as soon as I got home I did some research to find out what they are and how they occur. Oddly enough, though, there was no subsequent change - for better or worse - in my life, let alone in the rest of the world... not that I was expecting it. 😀
In any case, the sun has now crossed the international date line, so it's already 22nd December in New Zealand and other Western Pacific nations... and still nothing out of the ordinary has happened. :025:
Thanks! This is only my second-ever winter in Britain (I'm from Australia, hence the platypus avatar),
Ah, the beloved monotremata genus. 🙂
Robert M Pirsig quote:
Early zoologists classified as mammals those that suckle their young and as reptiles those that lay eggs ... then a duck-billed platypus was discovered in Australia laying eggs like a perfect reptile and then, when they hatched, suckling the infant ... The discovery created quite a sensation. What a mystery! What a marvel of nature! ... Even today you still see occasional articles in nature magazines asking Why does this paradox of nature exist?.
The answer is: it doesnt. Platypi have been laying eggs and suckling their young for millions of years before zoologists declared it illegal. The real mystery is how mature, objective, trained scientific observers can blame their own goof on a poor innocent platypus.
Ah, the beloved monotremata genus. 🙂
Yes, platypuses are another ancient mystery, so to speak. Except, of course, to platypuses themselves. 😉 (It is true that when the first platypus specimen arrived in Britain from Australia, scientists pulled it apart looking for the stitches - they couldn't believe it wasn't some sort of clever fake.)