Earliest sundown isn’t on the shortest day
For the southernmost U.S. and related latitudes – round 30 degrees north latitude – the earliest sunsets of the yr are occurring round now. As a result of they arrive in late November and early December. For latitudes farther north – round 40 degrees north latitude – the yr’s earliest sunsets will occur within the coming week, the week of December 5, 2022. As an illustration, that might be the latitude of New York Metropolis; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Kansas Metropolis, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; Reno, Nevada; Beijing, China; Madrid, Spain; and Naples, Italy.
In the meantime, what in regards to the Southern Hemisphere? At this similar time, for 40 degrees south latitude, the yr’s earliest sunrises occur this week, as you progress towards your longest day on the December solstice.
Then, nearer to the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, the earliest sundown and earliest dawn occur nearer the solstice.
Need to know the date of your earliest sundown (or dawn)? Sunrise-sunset.org provides the sunrise/sunset times to the second, for places across the globe.
In reality, the precise date of the Northern Hemisphere’s earliest sundown and the Southern Hemisphere’s earliest dawn varies by latitude.
However, at temperate latitudes, each of those annual hallmarks in our sky come just a few to a number of weeks earlier than the December solstice, not on the solstice as you may anticipate.
???? Northern Hemisphere Buddies????
Do you know that the earliest sundown comes BEFORE the winter solstice? That signifies that sundown is already inching later for many of us ?https://t.co/eJHBQ3v60E pic.twitter.com/mgDCcHpGER
— Anna Kusmer (@ASKusmer) December 13, 2020
Why?
The subsequent solstice in 2022 comes at 21:48 UTC on December 21 and marks an unofficial starting for winter within the Northern Hemisphere. So for the Northern Hemisphere, this upcoming solstice brings the shortest day and longest night time of the yr. Then why isn’t the earliest sundown on the yr’s shortest day?
Principally, it’s due to the discrepancy between the clock and the sun. The actual fact is, a clock ticks off precisely 24 hours from one midday to the following. However an precise day – as measured by the spin of the Earth, from what is named one “solar midday” to the following – hardly ever equals 24 hours precisely.
Additionally, solar midday is just referred to as noon. As a result of it refers to that instantaneous when the sun reaches its highest level for the day. Thus, within the month of December, the time interval from one solar midday to the following is definitely half a minute longer than 24 hours. For instance, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 7, the sun reaches its noontime place at 11:52 a.m. native commonplace time. Then, two weeks later – on the winter solstice – the sun will attain its noontime place round 11:58 a.m. In order that’s 6 minutes later than on December 7.
Go to Sunrise Sunset Calendars to know the clock time for dawn, solar midday and sundown plus day size in your a part of the world, remembering to verify the solar midday and day size bins.
One other key level, the later clock time for solar midday means a later clock time for dawn and sundown. As may be seen within the desk beneath.
For Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| Date | Dawn | Photo voltaic Midday (Noon) | Sundown | Daylight Hours |
| December 7 | 7:08 a.m. | 11:52 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 9 hours 27 minutes |
| December 21 | 7:19 a.m. | 11:58 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 9 hours 20 minutes |
Newest dawn and earliest sundown aren’t on the solstice
As you may need guessed, the newest sunrises aren’t on the day of the solstice both. So for center latitudes within the Northern Hemisphere, the newest sunrises are available early January.
Nonetheless, there’s variation within the actual dates, however the sequence is at all times the identical for each hemispheres. First, earliest sundown earlier than the winter solstice, the winter solstice itself, newest dawn after the winter solstice. Then, half a yr later: earliest dawn earlier than the summer time solstice, the summer time solstice itself, newest sundown.
So by all means, try the earliest and newest sunsets and sunrises in your space. As a result of they’re at all times pretty and occur round each solstice.
Sunsets from the EarthSky Group
Backside line: The solstice comes on December 21, 2022, at 21:48 UTC. However the earliest sunsets at mid-northern latitudes – say, 40 levels north latitude – occur on and round December 6 or 7. Whereas, latitudes nearer to the equator had their earliest sunsets in late November, or earlier in December. After which latitudes nearer to the Arctic Circle can have their earliest sunsets nearer to the December solstice.
Solstice tale of two cities: New York, New York, and St. Augustine, Florida
