Ten News EXTRA: Orange Snow & Winter Blues ❄️
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Description
From now on every Saturday The Ten News is getting EXTRA! 🤣 Here's this week's extra episode: 🌒 What is the Winter Solstice, and when is it? 🧠 What are the winter blues? Did you know the shorter days of winter can affect our mood and mental health? ⛷ Plus! What strange occurence turned the snow orange at a ski resort in Switzerland?
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📝 Sign up for The Ten News-letter!
🌒 Discover what really happens during Winter Solstice every year!
⛷ Explore the reason the snow recently turned orange in parts of Europe
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Transcript
Various voices 0:00
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Bethany Van Delft 0:07
I'm Bethany Van Delft. But this is no ordinary episode of The Ten News. This is The Ten News gets extra. Spring is about to rain. So today we're saying so long to winter, bye winter.
Various voices 0:27
Bye bye.
Bye. Bye bye now
Bethany Van Delft 0:29
By looking back at some of the cool things we've learned about it this year. Get it? "Cool?" See what I did there? So bundle up for a deep dive into winter. The 10 News style. Have you noticed that the days are getting longer as the sun sets a little later each day? Back on the shortest day of the year, aka the winter solstice. Our friends Jacob and Olivia from "The Curious Kid Podcast" explains what's up with the change in daylight hours. Check it out.
Jacob 1:05
Hey, everybody, did you enjoy the sunshine on Monday? If you did, you were able to get the most out of the shortest day of the year.
Olivia 1:14
Aren't all days 24 hours?
Jacob 1:16
Yes, but I'm talking about the amount of time between sunrise and sunset. Monday, December 21 was the winter solstice. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it was the darkest day of the year, with only about nine hours and 15 minutes between sunrise and sunset. That means almost 15 hours of darkness. Let's learn some fun facts about the winter solstice.
Olivia 1:46
The winter solstice batch the official start of winter.
Jacob 1:50
That's right, winter started on Monday.
Olivia 1:53
Going forward, there will be more and more daylight every single day until we get to summer.
Jacob 1:59
That's so exciting. I can't wait for the nice warm summer months.
Olivia 2:05
Hang in there because it will get colder before it gets warmer.
Jacob 2:09
So don't put away your warm coats yet. A little more daylight is not going to give us warmer weather right away.
Olivia 2:16
Warm weather is being enjoyed by people in the southern hemisphere right now.
Jacob 2:21
And that's because the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere takes place at the same moment as the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. Interesting. Right now, south of the equator, people are enjoying long days and warm weather for the start of summer.
Olivia 2:37
And here's a fun fact that will blow your mind. The Winter Solstice has nothing to do with how far away the sun is.
Jacob 2:46
The sun is actually pretty close to Earth right now, compared to other points throughout the year. The reason our days are short and nights are long is because the earth is tilted. This time of year. The northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, which means less sunlight and colder weather.
Olivia 3:05
Okay, dad, let's bundle up and go outside before the sun goes down.
Bethany Van Delft 3:17
Hey, grown ups. Are you and the family enjoying The Ten News? If so, could you please do us a big, big favor. All you have to do is go to Apple podcasts and give us a rating and a review? Hopefully five stars but no pressure. You don't even have to stop listening. You could do it right now. Don't worry. I'll wait. Just kidding. Take your time. Do it though. It may not seem like a big deal, but it really helps other listeners find The Ten News so our community can grow. Thanks again for listening. We really appreciate it. Did you know that the shorter days of winter can affect our mood? Tell me about it. Back in January, Laine Farber from the Nature Nerds podcast explains what the winter blues has to do with our brains.
Laine 4:13
It's January one of the longest and coldest months of the year. And with all the fun of the holiday season behind us, and more distance learning ahead for many of us, some people might begin feeling a little down in the dumps. Sometimes feeling sad is not a bad thing. We go through many emotions on a daily basis, which is healthy. Just like the movie "Inside Out" teaches us, all of our emotions are important and valid.
Various voices 4:43
What abstract concept are we trying to comprehend today?
Loneliness.
Laine 4:47
But if you're feeling a little extra sad during the winter months, you might be experiencing something commonly known as the winter blues. Now what causes winter blues might surprise you One reason we might feel a little extra gloomy during this time of year is because of the sun.
Various voices 5:09
You serious?
Laine 5:09
I know, I know. That sounds strange, but let me explain. So the sun, you know that big yellow thing in the sky? Well, it does more than just warm our planet. It makes plants grow, generates weather patterns, and helps keep humans happy and healthy. Now, before we can understand exactly how sunlight affects our mental health, we need to learn about brain chemistry. Step into my lab and I'll explain brain chemistry 101. The brain is a complex organ that does so many incredible things like breathing, talking, walking, and even feeling emotions. The brain relies on special hormones called neurotransmitters to function properly. Neurotransmitters are natural chemicals used to send and receive messages between brain cells. Too much or too little of these different neurotransmitters can lead to mental health issues. Sunlight causes our brain to release a neurotransmitter called serotonin. serotonin is known as the happy hormone because your brain releases it when you're feeling good. During the winter months, we get fewer hours of daylight. Less sunlight means less serotonin, which can leave us feeling down in the dumps. Now, feeling blue looks different for everyone. You might feel extra sleepy, a little unmotivated, or even sort of hollow, like a piece of you is missing. So you're probably wondering, how do I beat the winter blues? Well, the best way to beat the winter blues is to get outside and get active. So slap on some sunscreen and enjoy those beautiful UV rays. And remember, mental health is just as important as physical health. So take some time to take care of yourself in the new year.
Bethany Van Delft 7:09
Have you ever seen orange snow, not yellow? Recently in Switzerland, the winds was strong enough to carry Red Dust and sand from Africa's Sahara desert to the European country. blanketing at least one ski resort in orange. You can see photos of the colorful phenomenon at thetennews.com. I wonder if that's what it was like being on Mars. We want to find out soon enough. Time's up. But before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups because we love you too grownies. Want even more great content from The Ten News. Sign up for The Ten News newsletter, aka The Ten News letter. It's a free bi weekly email with even more stories to enjoy together, and we made it easy for you. The link to join is in the show notes and on our website, thetennews.com Thanks for listening to The Ten News. Look out for our new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. The Ten News is a co production of Small But Mighty Media and next chapter podcast and is distributed by iHeartRadio. Our editorial directors Tracy crooks, editing and sound design by Andrew Hall. Our creative producer is Jennifer pascua. Stephen Tompkins is our head of audience development, and our production assistant is Sarah Olender. Jacob and Olivia Rosenzweig and Laine Farber contributed to today's episode. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and The Ten News is executive produced by Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. Do you want to be part of the show? recorded question a joke or just a fun fact you want to share and email it to us at hello@thetennews.com. And if you really love The Ten News, go to your favorite podcast app and submit a rating and review. It really helps others find the show so they can join the fun. And you know what they say, the more the merrier. I'm Bethany Van Delft, and thanks for listening to The Ten News. See you later alligator.
