This is the first year since 2005 that I have been on Lewis on the 13 November and this morning the realisation of one of the things that means hit me: I couldn't actually see the sun as it came over the horizon. I am fortunate in that I live with big skies and can see the sun pop over the horizon for much of the year and for much of the summer I see it coming over the horizon behind the mountains of the Scottish Highlands on the other side of The Minch. Today for the first time (the stormy weather means I've not seen a sunrise for a week or more) the sun rose just to the right of the little headland in front of my house. Mind you what I could see was still pretty spectacular but you know what they say "Red sky in the morning sailor's warning" and we are supposed to be in for another big blow and torrential rain by this afternoon.
At the summer solstice the sun rises where the yellow line points and sets where the orange one points and just dips below the horizon for the other few hours.
Today the picture is quite different with the sun rising and setting as shown below and there are still two more months to the winter solstice.
That is a gorgeous sunrise GB. Lucky you. Daylight starts to break from around 4:30am at the moment here.
ReplyDeleteI've been surprised Carol by how many people have posted photos of this sunrise on Facebook. It really seems to have been a corker even by our standards. I am finding it a bit difficult closing the blinds by 1630 and rising in the dark. It's 9 years since I last did it.
DeleteOf course ~ you are about to experience your first Winter in 9 years ~ lucky you ;)
DeleteIsn't the winter solstice on Sunday December 21st? That's only 38 days away. Nonetheless thank you for the homely and illustrative geography lesson
ReplyDeleteOh dear YP. That's a huge DUH. I was still thinking that I was in October. November in Scotland is not part of my mental map. Thanks for putting me right.
DeleteBeatuiful sunrise... Here, today, somewhere behind the clouds, the sun rose at 7:49 am and went to bed at 15:54. (At the winter solstice, it will be up at 8:51 and down at 15:21.)
ReplyDeleteMonica, beautiful sunrises seem to have been the norm through Britain and France if the photos I've seen are anything to go by. The clouds soon moved in here too.
DeleteNeat way to show the sunlight time in summer and winter. At the latitudes we live sunlight time is very noticeable.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed Red.
DeleteWow! Spectacular. Chin up GB. Change can be tough sometimes but it can also keep us on our toes. Enjoy that winter stuff as well Gb and take care of you!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jaz. Like you I'm pretty resilient and, lets face it, I've had a very good summer run for my money. Perhaps next year it'll be a year of two summers again.
DeleteStunningly gorgeous colours! I was on the road coming home from Auckland at midnight last night and saw a peek of orange crescent moon rising huge. For the first time in my life I think. And it occurred to me that the crescent usually comes up long after I'm tucked up, that's why. Anyone can see the full moon come up or go down because that's around dawn and dusk respectively …
ReplyDeleteI expect everyone else knows this, but I just realised it.
er, the other way around… dusk and dawn.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful experience. I'm very fortunate, Kate, in that I often see the moon rising just above the horizon across the sea. It's one of the many advantages of living with big skies.
DeleteBeautiful sunrise and the beginning to another beautiful day....you're alive....give thanks.
ReplyDeleteHere the evenings are getting darker earlier and the sun takes longer to rise in the morning, but I make the most of the daylight hours in between.
Your first stormy winter in 9 years....it may not turn out as bad as you anticipate....wishing you the best.
Virginia I'm sure it will be a wonderful experience. I may even see some snow. I'm certainly experiencing plenty of gales and rain this autumn.
DeleteYou are really lucky to live so close by such beautiful landscapes. The sky is phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
You are right, Mersad, I am very fortunate but then you, too, live in a very beautiful country.
DeleteWonderful morning sky, Graham! Did the torrential rain and heavy winds arrive that day?
ReplyDeleteMeike the ferry was cancelled in the afternoon but the real winds came over night and the following morning. I've just posted one of the effects of the wind the following (i.e. yesterday) morning.
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