On Mon, 16 Jul 2001, Alberto Monteiro wrote:
> Also, there's a chronology stuff here. The Ceremony was on Mid-Winter
> Day, but also it's said to be on _solstice_. This term applies to the
> days where the Sun is in the extreme declinations - however, we know
> that the seasons, in Stratos, are given by the distance to Stratos-S.
> So, unless this is a typographical error [and I bet on this], it would
> mean that Stratos's orbit is very peculiar, as in the general case,
> the solstice does not happen at the aphelium or perihelium.
My dictionary has the following definition:
midwinter n. 1. The middle of the winter. 2. The period of the winter
solstice, about December 22.
So by the second definition, you don't need all the extra stuff to explain
why Mid-Winter Day was on the *solstice*.
And no, the English language doesn't necessarily make sense when you think
it should....
Julia
