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,
Trailing twelve months such as higher sales over Christmas, giving a less accurate picture of a company's fiscal health. Typically trailing twelve months figures are generated to show either the most recent twelve months of a company's trading or to show the last twelve months of its trading before a certain event, such as an acquisition, took place. If no quarterly or interim report has been issued between the last preliminary report or annual report and the date in question, then there is no need to generate trailing twelve months figures, because annual and preliminary reports already contain figures for 12 months. Trailing