Winter solstice instant of the solstice can be calculated, direct observation of the solstice by amateurs is impossible because the sun moves too slowly or appears to stand still (the meaning of "solstice"). However, by use of astronomical data tracking, the precise timing of its occurrence is now public knowledge. One cannot directly detect the precise instant of the solstice (by definition, one cannot observe that an object has stopped moving until one later observes that it has not moved further from the preceding spot, or that it has moved in the opposite direction). Further, to be precise to a single day,
Dump months is the month's last two weekends that are more universally seen as the beginning of the late-summer dump months, when only forgettable films are likely to be released, with occasional exceptions like "Dirty Dancing", which went on to make $63 million domestically from its release in late August 1987, and spawn several sequels and a franchise. At the end of August is the annual American celebration of Labor Day, the only holiday weekend during this period. Of all the year's holiday weekends it is reliably the weakest in terms of movie box office, with the top grosser for the weekend