Astronomy/36hrs of day

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Expert: - 9/24/2009


Question
Is it is correct that on 17th oct 2009 continuous 36hrs of day in eastern countries & 36hrs of night in western countries will be happen? How it happens &what is the reason?

Answer
The Earth rotates at a relatively fixed rate, yielding a total time for each daily rotation about its axis of ~ 24 hrs (or ~ more accurately 23 h 56 m). Thus, talk of a "36 hour day" (or night) is nonsense. Thus, it amounts to more fear mongering that probably came from many of the same sources that dreamed up the Mayan 2012 baloney.

Astronomy

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Philip Stahl

Expertise

I have forty years of experience in Astronomy, specifically solar and space physics. My specialties include the physics of solar flares, sunspots, including their effects on Earth and statistics as applied to astronomical investigations.

Experience

Astronomy: more than forty years experience starting with construction of my own simple telescopes. Worked at university observatory in college, doing astrographic measurements. M.Phil. degree in Physics/Solar Physics and more than ten years as researcher.

Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar Physics and Dynamical Astronomy divisions), American Mathematical Society, American Geophysical Union

Publications
Solar Physics (journal), The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, The Proceedings of the Meudon Solar Flare Workshop (1986), The Proceedings of the Caribbean Physics Conference (1985). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.

Education/Credentials
B.A. Astronomy, M. Phil. Physics

Awards and Honors
American Astronomical Society Studentship Award (1984), Barbados Government Award for Solar Research

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