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Mind_your_head Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 12:48 AM
Original message
Question about 'winter solstice'
According to this site: http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/winter-solstice.htm

winter solstice occurs just before sunrise tomorrow (Sunday, December 21).

"In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21, 2008 at 7:04 AM EST and 12:04 UT (Universal Time)."

My question is: Is tonight December 20 the longest night (with the fewest amount of daylight time) or is tomorrow (December 21) the 24 hour period with the least amount of daylight time?

Hope this isn't a 'dumb' question. (and I know I'm not really even asking it "quite correctly")

TIA,
M_Y_H
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1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 12:50 AM
Response to Original message
1. december 21. n/t.
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Bill McBlueState Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 12:56 AM
Response to Original message
2. you can look up sunrise and sunset times for your area
Edited on Sun Dec-21-08 12:57 AM by Bill McBlueState
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php

For my city,

sunrise dec 20 7:58a
sunset dec 20 5:07p

sunrise dec 21 7:58a
sunset dec 21 5:07p

sunrise dec 22 7:59a

The main thing to notice is that there's very little change in the length of the night in the few days immediately surrounding the solstice. But from this tabulation, we conclude that tomorrow night will be one minute longer than tonight, since sunset is the same time but sunrise is one minute later on Dec 22. (The fact that the times are rounded to the nearest minute muddies it up a little, though.)
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CC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:02 AM
Response to Reply #2
4. So the seconds
do count even if not shown. Thank you.




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CC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:01 AM
Response to Original message
3. Not sure anymore.
I would of said the 21st would be the shortest day but not around here it seems.



BTW Dec. 20th the sun rose at 7:22AM and set at 4:46 pm. Unless they count the seconds they all seem the same length to me. Eventually we should start getting longer days now.











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1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:13 AM
Response to Reply #3
6. but you know scientists...
sunset dec 20 5:07.0948436532453274859685743635453537984597p

sunset dec 21 5:07.0948436532453274859685743635453537984595p

sunset dec 22 5:07.0948436532453274859685743635453537984596p
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TomInTib Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:09 AM
Response to Original message
5. Meanwhile..... I will just stand here and drink/smoke
see what happens.
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Mind_your_head Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:17 AM
Response to Reply #5
7. It will get brighter
Maybe not today, it might be tomorrow....but it will get lighter, brigher...every day from now on (at least until next year).

....as you were ~ carry on

:smoke: :spray:
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Gman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:22 AM
Response to Reply #7
10. Until June 21, the summer solstice
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xchrom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:19 AM
Response to Original message
8. Happy Solstice to All. nt
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MikeE Donating Member (637 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 07:28 AM
Response to Reply #8
13. Happy Solstice to you too!
May your dreams and your life grow brighter as the days grow longer :party: :loveya:
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Gman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:21 AM
Response to Original message
9. The night that begins December 21 is the longest night
Edited on Sun Dec-21-08 01:21 AM by Gman
That is, longest period of dark, shortest period of light.
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Mind_your_head Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:26 AM
Response to Reply #9
11. Thank you. That's what I wanted to know.
:hug:

Peace,
M_Y_H
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muriel_volestrangler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 10:40 AM
Response to Reply #9
15. I very much doubt that, for the USA
The time given for the winter solstice in the OP is closer to the midnight between Dec 20th and 21st than to the midnight between the 21st and 22nd, for USA time zones. Thus the night starting at sunset on the 20th will be the longest - for more or less all points in the USA, that night will actually contain the moment of the solstice. The day starting at sunrise on the 21st will be the longest, for similar reasons (it contains the noon closest to the solstice).
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muriel_volestrangler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 12:02 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. That should read "day starting ...21st will the the shortest"
Stupid me. :dunce:
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chucktaylor Donating Member (201 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 02:04 AM
Response to Original message
12. Tonight is the first night of the rest of your life.
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soothsayer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 09:00 AM
Response to Original message
14. as others have already said, solstice night is the longest night
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muriel_volestrangler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 11:06 AM
Response to Original message
16. Yes, to both your alternatives
'tonight' (ie the night during which you wrote that question) was the longest night - but I wouldn't express a night as "the fewest amount of daylight time", but as "the longest period of dark". From sunset on the 20th to sunrise on the 21st was the longest night-time period.

And 'tomorrow' (December 21) is the 24 hour period with the least amount of daylight time. ie from sunrise on the 21st to sunset on the 21st is the shortest day-time period.
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