HexxusJul 18, 2024
dr. fennec  

it's fun to realize how southern the USA are compared to europe and africa. my hometown in the french alps, part of southern france by some definitions, and often experiencing heatwaves in the low 40's, is more north than minneapolis. miami is about at the same latitude as dubai, and only 4 degrees north of mekkah.

charleston, south carolina is at about the same latitude as marrakesh, morocco.

paris is at about the same latitude as the northernmost point in the contiguous 48 states

the southernmost point of alaska is more southern than edinburgh

Jul 17, 2024 at 10:13pmWeb
Show threadAndrewJul 17, 2024
@fen I was in Paris a few weeks ago and it was crazy to me how late it stayed bright out.
Show threaddr. fennec  Jul 17, 2024
@cinebox fun fact, for the entire month of june in paris we don't get actual night, only astronomical twilight (the sun doesn't go 18° below the horizon)
Show threadAtomic FoxJul 17, 2024

@fen

I just always say "New York City is at the same latitude as Barcelona".

Show threadCato, registered Lynx ⓁJul 18, 2024

@fen holy shit I never realized that. What the hell!

Also, did you mean "the southernmost point of alaska is more NORTHERN than edinburgh"?

Show threaddr. fennec  Jul 18, 2024
@cato nop
Show threadCato, registered Lynx ⓁJul 18, 2024
@fen ah yeah just checked
Show threadKumar McMillanJul 18, 2024
@fen latitude is misleading, though. If Edinburgh wasn’t surrounded by water and if the AMOC current wasn’t warming Northern Europe, Edinburgh would be more like permafrozen inland Canada (but it’s not).
Show threadSwift (will be at EMF)Jul 18, 2024
@kumarvibe @fen yes and no. Air currents are one effect, but in terms of things like "how much do seasons affect daylight", latitude is all that matters.
Show threadRedMacryon 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Jul 18, 2024

@fen true but due to climate effects the US and Europe differ even on the same latitudes.

While new york might be on the same latitude as porto in portugal, the climate is closer to what you'd get in the netherlands/northern germany.

Another example is orlando florida which is on a more southern latitude than Cairo in Egypt but has a climate more comparable with a mix of what you'd get in Crete and Northern Spain

Show thread0x10f/kalle/qalleJul 18, 2024
@fen When I was a kid in Helsinki (latitude 60.2° north), I used to read about exotic places in the south (Chilkoot Pass during the Klondike gold rush, 59.7° north).