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Apple tree and December night

 

Friday may be filled with events heralded by all kinds of predictions, but the equinox will certainly be pleasantly wintery.

 

This year’s calendar autumn ends with a surfeit of snow; on December 21st winter begins. The sun is in the southernmost point of its journey. Day length is barely a few minutes longer than six hours. An hour of morning and evening twilight respectively and the length of the night will be nearly sixteen hours. In South Estonia light lasts for almost fifteen minutes more. On our islands too the day is just a little longer than on the shores of Lake Peipsi.

 

Snowlights have saved us from the autumn doldrums.

 

Tartu Observatory arranges a watching night in Tõravere’s large telescope tower on December 21st at 19.00 hours to 22.00 hours,  to mark the beginning of winter and the alleged end of the world.

 

In clear weather the Moon and Jupiter can be observed without a telescope. The Stellarium rooms are open in any weather. The starry sky is demonstrated with the planetarium software and astronomers will be there to chat about astronomy.