Posted by GLW on June 29, 2011, 9:07 am, in reply to "Shortest...Longest"
I think that 3D may have caught this first as being..."a trick question".
Without thinking...most will say June 21st...and December 21st are the days in question...and as I too...they are incorrect.
I read an article in the Belleville (BND) News Democrat last week that was very interesting. Many years ago, a college class was asked the question of what was the longest...and the shortest day of the year...by their instructor. As a whole, the class stated the days with the longest and shortest hours of light to be the correct answer.
Only when that instructor stated that they were incorrect for all days have an equal amount of time (23 hours 56 minutes and 4.09 seconds) did they understand...and accepted the instructors answer to the question.
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Most misinterpret the question as being linked to the "longest day of light...and the shortest day of light", but the question did not make any reference to the sun rising or the sun setting. The question was directed to the actual length of time of these 365 days of a year...and as it was pointed out, "all 365 days fell short of 24 hours" but were, the same length of/in time...with the addition of February 29 (in Leap Year)...the missing time per day is caught up to equal 24 hours per day.
on June 29, 2011, 9:07 am, in reply to "