The Last Moments of the Longest Day

On June 21, we noted the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice is one of the two days during the year when day and night are at their longest and shortest periods, depending upon where you are on Earth. Because of the tilt of the Earth on its axis, in the Northern Hemisphere the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and in the Southern Hemishphere, the shortest. Because we are north of the equator on Sanibel (26.45271 N) we enjoy our longest day of the year, and this year we had about 13 hours and 48 minutes of daylight. Now the days get shorter and the nights longer until the Winter Solstice. For more information on the Solstice, see http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/summer.html. Yesterday, we found numerous sea hares - a type of sea slug washed up on the beaches....today there were none. With each new tide, the sea brings us new surprises. More about sea hares tomorrow - the nights are short here this time of the year. Until then, enjoy the long days of summer. And use those daylight hours to sneak in some exploration the natural world that surrounds us.