Today is the day we get the shortest day and longest night. This has interested me since I was a little kid. On the farm we played outdoors and were out at night. We didn't have electricity so the night sky was bright. We also new that when we played outside after supper it got darker every day.
When I got someplace with a daily paper and the records of sun up and sunset, the solstice was more interesting.
So today our sunrise was at 8:42 and sunset at 4:24 for a total of seven hours and 42 minutes of sun.
What I find interesting is that sunset on Dec.8 was 4:22 and on Dec. 21 4:24. So the afternoons have started to get longer. Sunrise on Dec 8 was at 8:31 and on Dec. 21 was 8:42. The sun is still coming up later.
Our average high temperature in Dec is -4 C and average low -16 C.
So I always think of the winter solstice as going up a hill and you reach the top. Now it's down hill and much easier.
Oh my gosh! And here I am complaining when our temps go down to 67 degrees F. Funny thing about the solstice, I never noticed the shorter days in winter when I was growing up in Hawaii. But I do now. I guess as a kid, I was oblivious.
ReplyDeleteOblivious...good word for kids.
DeleteI like the downhill section! Take care, have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteIt's like sunshine before us.
DeleteThat is interesting and something I have never thought about. I guess I assumed that time came in equally on both the sunrise and sunset between the days.
ReplyDeleteI also made the same assumption.
DeleteI was aware of the Solstice - it always interests me - especially the Winter one. The effects never seem to appear until January when suddenly one morning I get up and it is light. Have a good Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAround solstice time things seem to stand still and there's very little change. Happy Christmas to you.
DeleteToo bad the weather follows the return of the sun so slowly.
ReplyDeleteBut then on the other end the cold would come very quickly.
DeleteThe return of the light! Yay!
ReplyDeleteIt takes a while to come but we're on the way.
DeleteAnd my 7th grandchild was born on 12/21/23! Adam Liam DeBerge who if he lives to my age (73) will see 2096! Hard to imagine!?! Gosh, I hope his world will be full of peace and joy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a happy day. One does wonder what will happen at that time.
DeleteYour sunrise comes 43 minutes after ours. Your sunset is 10 minutes after ours.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was my sister's birthday, so that was a bright spot.
Just to make it more fun, time zones are not precise.
DeleteThe sunrise here is at 7:37 and the sunset is at 4:52. It's been cloudy and dark for days though. We're waiting for the skies to clear so we can actually see that thing called the sun! (NewRobin13)
ReplyDeleteYou are a long way south. When it's cold we get some very clear skies. Have a great holiday.
DeleteLet there be light.
ReplyDeleteYes, and lots of light.
DeleteI do like the changes.
ReplyDeleteI would take a while to get used to things further south.
DeleteInteresting to think of it as being uphill to the solstice, and now downhill. I like the mental image it provides.
ReplyDeleteI like the curves in the graph.
DeleteOur daylight hours are almost as short as yours, but thankfully we do not have your freezing temperatures. Today we have 40 degree rain.
ReplyDeleteWe get used to our own winters. we like the clear winter skies.
DeleteIt'll take awhile before one notices longer days.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a couple of weeks to turn around.
DeleteWe had 8 hours and 23 minutes today 8 :16 to 4:39
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely south of us .
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