Q: In the commercial for the Citi ThankYou Premier Card, there’s a young lady standing on top of a rock formation she had just climbed. Was that computer generated or did she really climb there? Where is it?
Martha Hunt, Hoschton
A: The commercial was shot using professional climbers at a popular climbing spot called Fisher Towers, about 20 miles northeast of Moab, Utah, Emily Collins, the director of public affairs for Citi Cards, told Q&A on the News in an email. She said no special effects were used and the climber is actually standing on a formation called "Ancient Art," which is a part of Fisher Towers.
Q: I always heard the shortest day of the year was Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice. But according to the AJC's weather page, the shortest day was about a week prior to that, and the days have been getting longer every day. Can you shed some light on this?
Michael Shikany, Atlanta
A: The December solstice is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, but the earliest sunset occurs about a week prior to that, Glenn Burns, chief meteorologist for Channel 2 Action News, told Q&A on the News in an email. Focus on what is called true solar noon, which is when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. In early December, the true solar noon happens about 10 minutes earlier than on the solstice, which this year was on Dec. 21. The difference between clock time and sun time is due to the tilt of the earth's axis and the earth's elliptical orbit around the sun.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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