If today seems like a long day, that's because it is the longest day of the year. (Fortunately, it's not a work day.)
In the northern hemisphere, of which North Dakota and Minnesota are proud card-carrying members, the longest day of the year occurs on the summer solstice, usually near June 22.
It is the longest day of the year in the sense of length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset at its maximum.
Of course, the real longest day of the year is the last Sunday in October, which has 25 hours in it thanks to daylight savings time.
The amount of daylight in Fargo-Moorhead will hit 15 hours, 53 minutes, according to MSUM physics and astronomy professor Linda Winkler. Include twilight, and you'll be able to see for 21 hours 58 minutes. If you go to Grand Forks or farther north, you'll not encounter any deep darkness.
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Here are some other facts about the longest day:
Time at which the northern hemisphere will be most tilted
toward the Sun.
4:24 a.m. our time.
What does solstice mean?
It's from the Latin words for "The Sun" and "to stop" because early observers thought the Sun appeared to stop dead, then turn around.
When was "The Longest Day" released?
1962
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Who starred in what many think is the best war movie ever made?
Paul Anka, Richard Burton, Red Buttons, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Fabian, Peter Lawford, among others.
Cards target U.S. corporate villians
The Rail likes these guys.
Inspired by the military's most-wanted card deck of Iraqi war figures, two Atlanta men have created a deck of cards for America's corporate villains.
"The Stacked Deck" has caricatures of Enron Corp.'s former CEO Kenneth Lay (the ace of spades), Arthur Andersen's former CEO Joseph Berardino (the ace of hearts) and the guru of good things, Martha Stewart (queen of hearts.)
The creators are Douglas Quinby, a marketing director for a midsize technology company, and J.R. Mayhew, co-founder of Cyfun Media, an interactive marketing agency.
They say they have sold several hundred decks in less than two weeks from their Web site, thestackeddeck.com. Each deck costs $12.95.
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"Our biggest disappointment was that there were only 54 cards in the deck," Quinby said.
The Associated Press
To contact The Rail, send an e-mail to features editor Dean Rhodes at drhodes@forumcomm.com or click on the Valley R&R icon at In-Forum.com.
Today's best bet
World Refugee Day celebration, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota's Center for New Americans joins communities around the world in celebrating World Refugee Day 2003.
Armour Park,
West Fargo
