The Sun of the Winter Solstice

Observing by digital photography the slow movement of the Sun along the horizon at Sunrise and Sunset from
my vantage point in the SMDC Sun Residences Condominium towering above Welcome Rotonda Quezon City

It was my great luck to rent an end studio unit located in the higher floors of the Tower 1 of the SMDC Sun Residences. An end unit is a
wonderful place because as a corner room it has 2 windows unlike the inner studio units with only one window that faces you directly as
you enter. My 2 large windows are positioned directly in front of me and to my left which gives me a truly grand panoramic view, not to
mention very windy, of the southern and western sectors of Metro Manila. It really seems like I am sitting on Top of the World because
the high rise SMDC Sun Residences stands proudly atop Welcome Rotonda, which is already a very elevated place known fully well to the
residents of the neighboring locales. My southern view opens up to the left with a nice view of the Tower 2 of the Sun Residences, to the
Sta. Mesa area with the SMDC Mezza Buildings and SM Centerpoint in front and Makati and Pasay City to the far right. These locales are
vividly shown by the succession of photos below.

While my western window provides a tantalizing view of the Ermita area from the left, to the Sampaloc area and UST directly in front and
farther on to the horizon is Manila Bay with all its big ships and Caloocan City to the far right. In addition, my western window shows the
Espana Tower to the left and the PLDT Communication Tower to the right. Again the succession of photos clearly shows the places
enumerated.

I can simply stare all day long at my surroundings with the busy cities of tall buildings and traffic set against an azure or gray sky painted by
the sun in an ever changing hues and tones of living colors. My knowledge of the winter and summer solstices, and the vernal/spring and
autumnal equinoxes go all the way back to my high school days when I and my classmates took up a course in basic amateur astronomy
conducted by the late Mr. Hans Arber and the Philippine Astronomical Society (PAS) which was headed then by the late Fr. Victor Badillo, SJ.
In one of the exercises, we were required to select a spot along Roxas Blvd on which to draw the position of the setting sun in relation to
nearby landmarks. After every 3 or 4 days, we were required to return to the same spot on the same time and made drawings of the
position of the setting sun. Once we completed about 2 weeks of observation, we made our conclusion as to which direction the setting sun
is moving into. Is the sun migrating to our right meaning to the north or to our left to the south? Of course, we can also observed sunrise but
that would mean extra efforts of waking up very early in the morning. The winter and summer solstices and the vernal equinox are
important annual events because they determine and mark the dates of special religious events like Easter Sunday and the Chinese New
Year that are both based on lunar cycles. In the Philippines, the winter solstice which took place yesterday December 22 according to
PAGASA marks the most southerly point of sunrise or sunset for the sun. In the northern hemisphere, it is also known as the day with the
shortest length of daytime and the longest length of nighttime. After December 22, the sun starts moving in the opposite direction meaning
northwards until the day of the Summer Solstice. The summer solstice which occurs on June 21 or 22 marks the most northerly migration of
the sun which is felt in the northern hemisphere as the longest day and the shortest night. When I was in Germany in August of 1988, I really
experienced it first hand as the sun was up at a very early 5:00 AM and went down at 9:00 PM. The Vernal Equinox marks the beginning of
spring in the temperate northern hemisphere which falls on March 21. The length of day and night is equal during the vernal/spring (March

21) equinox and during the autumnal (September 21) equinox. It also determines the date of Easter Sunday, the most significant Christian
religious event of the year. The Catholic Church established the rule in determining Easter which is based on the Paschal Full Moon. It is the
full moon after the vernal/spring equinox (March 21) and the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon is to be Easter Sunday. For instance, in
this year the Paschal Full Moon fell on 15 April (Tuesday), the first full moon after March 21 and so Easter was celebrated on 20 April. For
2015, the first full moon (Paschal Full Moon) after March 21 will fall on 4 April (Saturday) and so the following day which is a Sunday 5 April
is Easter. For trivia on Easter, Wikipedia cited that in 1818 a paschal full moon fell on Saturday March 21 (the vernal/spring Equinox itself),
Easter was therefore declared on the following day - Sunday March 22. It is the earliest date possible for Easter and it will not happen again
until 2285. In addition, in the year 1943 a full moon fell on Saturday March 20. As this was before the Equinox the paschal full moon, which
fell on Sunday April 18, determined the date of Easter which was the following Sunday, April 25. It will not fall on this date again until 2038,
a time length of 95 years. However, for the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year is celebrated on the date of the second new moon after
the winter solstice (Dec 21 or 22). So for next year 2015, the first new moon after Dec 22, 2014 fell on 27 January 2015 and the second new
moon which is the Chinese New Year will fall on 19 February 2015. For this year, the first new moon after the winter solstice fell on 1
January 2014 and the second new moon which was the Chinese New Year was celebrated on 31 January 2014.
Now, its time for me to share my observations in digital photography of the movement of the sun at sunrise and sunset from the September
to December of this year. I used my SONY Xperia Ultra T2 and Iphone 5S in taking the photographs. Again, I will point out the position of
sunrise and sunset in relation to nearby landmarks like tall buildings located close to the horizon.

Last 27 September at 5:16 PM, the Sun is close to the PLDT Tower (right) and was due to set on the open sea of Manila Bay (Right is North)

By 25 October 2014 at 5:24 PM, the sun has moved to the left (southwards) and is seemingly due to set atop the first building from the left

By 3 November 2014 at 5:21 PM, the sun has moved farther to the left to the second smaller building from the first taller and bigger one

By 15 November 2014 at 5:21 PM, the setting sun has migrated farther to the left (southwards) close to a group of 3 building from left

By 17 November 2014 at 5:17 PM, the sun is directly on top of the group of 3 closely adjacent buildings farther to the left from where it was
at the start of the observation

By 23 November 2014, the sun has moved farther to the left atop the 4th single building next to the group of 3 buildings

By 4 December at 5:14 PM, the sun has bypassed the 5th building and has almost moved on to the 6th well isolated building from the left

By 11 December 2014, the sun moved farther left between the 6th and 7th building forming what looks a slit like the Evil Eye of Sauron.

By 15 December 2014 at 5:25 PM, not much has changed the Eye of Sauron can still be seen. The sun is between the 6th and 7th building

By 20 December 2014 at 5:10 PM, two days short of the Winter Solstice the sun has moved passed the 7th building. On 23 December 2014,
the sun will begin to move due north (to the right) until its farthest point north on June 21 (Summer Solstice). There were no photos for 21
and 22 December due to the heavy overcast dusk skies.

Next are the photos for sunrises as seen through my southern window. Conspicuous landmarks are the tall condo residences of the SMDC
Mezza as well as Sorrel farther to the south (to the right).

11 September 2014 at 6:32 AM, was a foggy morning but the rising sun cannot be seen because it rose behind Tower 2. To the right is south

On 26 September 2014 at 7:09 AM, the rising sun was still behind Tower 2. The 4 SMDC Mezza buildings standing conspicuously proud with
the single smaller Sorrel Condo of DMCI farther to the south (right) as well as another DMCI condo located farther besides Lourdes Hospital.

By 25 October 2014 at 6:55 AM, the southerly (moving to the right) rising sun finally came out from behind Tower 2 and has finally revealed
itself in shining splendor against a gray sky.

By 27 November 2014 at 6:22 AM, the sun rose on a partially cloudy dawn sky inching ever so closely to the right to the SM Mezza Condo
Residences Buildings

By 30 November 2014 at 6:25 AM, the sun rose farther left/south towards the SMDC Mezza Residences Condo Buildings

By 3 December 2014 at 6:26 AM, the sun is a brightly shining golden orb rising on the southeastern horizon

The rising sun moving ever closer to the SMDC Mezza Buildings on 20 December 2014 at 6:29 AM two days short of the winter solstice

Sunrise on 21 December 2014, a day before the PAGASA declared date for the winter solstice in the Philippines

Finally on 22 December 2014 at 6:44 AM (Winter Solstice), the rising sun peered briefly through the thick dawn clouds short of reaching the
first building of the SMDC Mezza Residences. After this date, the sun will be moving in the opposite direction - northward (to the left) to
once again hide behind Tower 2 until it reaches its most northerly migration on June 21 (Summer Solstice).

Photographs of other beautiful views of the southern and western sections of Metro Manila as seen from high in the SMDC Sun Residences