Fomalhaut and Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice, and as Fomalhaut is the Guardian Of the Winter Solstice, he declared that it was important that he gets to go out around noon to check that the sun is at correct height and everything is proceeding as it should.

Unfortunately it was cloudy, so Fomalhaut could not measure his shadow, but the clouds were thin enough so that he could see where the sun is and ensure that it is at the correct position.


Noon sun at Winter Solstice.



Noon sun at Winter Solstice.




Fomalhaut: Now that I have checked the sun, I can play a little in the snow. It is nice and fluffy, but it's too cold to make a snowman, the snow won't stick together.



Fomalhaut: It's not too deep, but it is good that I borrowed Mr. Spock's boots because Sampo's boots are too low and the tops are too wide, they would be full of snow by now!






Fomalhaut: Hey, here the snow is getting too deep!



Fomalhaut: Can we take this spruce home for the Christmas tree?



Fomalhaut: What do you mean, this is a city park and felling trees is not allowed???


Fomalhaut and Winter Solstice sun.



Winter Solstice sun.

Spock On Ice

Now that Spock has suitable winter wear, he wanted to go out on the ice and take some tricorder readings.




Spock: This is extraordinary. The water is frozen solid and the surface is covered with frost formations.



Spock: Fascinating. I have never seen anything like this before.



Spock: It is actually a bit hard to take tricorder readings with mittens on...



Spock: ... but it is too cold to take them off. This place sure has arctic characteristics...



Spock: The crack in the ice shows how thick it is.



Spock: The frost balls are extremely fragile. They shatter from lightest touch.



Spock: I must get some closer readings of these frost formations.



Spock: Fascinating.



Spock: I have plenty of readings to analyze afterwards.


This is what the ice looks towards the shore. It is like a black mirror, completely spotted with these frost balls.

Winter Noon Light

At this time of the year the sun stays very low, only a little above the horizon. That gives an eerie lighting effects on clear days. The sky is very pale blue and the horizon looks rosy all day long, even at noon.

It has been cold and clear for several days in a row, and the lake is now partially frozen. But there is still open water in the middle, and you can still see mist rising from it though the water near the shore is frozen and looks like a mirror.



Rosy horizon and ice like a mirror.



Yes, the water is frozen near the shore, and it looks like a perfect mirror.



It is so beautiful that even Niks and Naks were quiet with awe. That is definitely very rare.



Color pictures appear almost black and white. In the low light the dark green spruces look black and closer to the horizon the sky appears white.



Barren birches are of course black and white by default.



Bushes are thickly covered with frost.



Niks and Naks decided that the pictures need a bit of color and climbed onto the bush.