Word of the day:  hyperborean\hye-per-BOR-ee-un\ • adjective: *1 : of or relating to an extreme northern region : frozen.  2 : of or relating to any of the arctic peoples.

NEW:  Star Gazing     Winter Solstice II:  Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere today, at 12:35 p.m. Central Standard Time. That's when the Sun appears farthest south in Earth's sky for the year. It lies 23-and-a-half degrees south of the celestial equator -- the projection of Earth's equator on the dome of the sky.

Solstices have long played important roles in everyday life. They've marked the beginning or end of planting or harvesting seasons, and served as starting points for calendars. In the northern hemisphere, the June solstice is most important because it occurs during the growing season. In the southern hemisphere, the growing season occurs during what are the winter months for us, so the December solstice is the most important.

Solstices have also played central roles in religious and secular festivals. The winter solstice has coincided with the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and with other festivals in Europe and elsewhere. Temples and other structures often are aligned with the sunrise point on the date of the summer or winter solstice.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year. In the Lower 48 States, the interval between sunrise and sunset varies from about eight to 10 hours, depending on your latitude. Of course, that means that the nights are longest at the winter solstice.

So enjoy the long, chilly night -- the beginning of winter -- which ends at the vernal equinox in March.   www.stardate.org/nightsky.