When The Days Start Getting Longer

[so lucky]

Hey, Steve, Hoodat, or anybody else who might know--Why is it that the days don't lengthen the same in the morning as they do in the evening? You would think if the day is two minutes longer than the day before, there would be a minute in the morning and a minute in the evening. But it doesn't seem to work that way. For December, the difference in sunrise from the 1st to the 31st is 20 minutes. The difference for sunset in the same month is 9 minutes, with the sunset getting later for most of the month, rather than just from the 21st. Is the sun just reluctant to get up in the morning, like me?

And I just noticed on my calender that the sunrise continues to be later all December. I thought they were supposed to start getting earlier after the 21st! Is there some simple answer to this that I am missing? And should I even waste my time worrying about things like this, when I have dirty dishes in the sink?

 

[seedcorn]

U have to be in center of zone to make it do that

 

[ninnymary]

so lucky, I think you should do the dirty dishes. Just my opinion.

Mary

 

[Southern Gardener]

 

[Smart Red]

And should I even waste my time worrying about things like this, when I have dirty dishes in the sink?

You should come and do my dirty dishes.

 

[so lucky]

U have to be in center of zone to make it do that

Do you mean in the center of the time zone, like central or mountain zone? But doesn't the sun rise at the same speed regardless of where you are in the time zone?

 

[seedcorn]

Sun rises earlier on east side than it does on west side of same time zone. Sets later on west side than it does east side. But same time on east side if time zone than on west side

 

[digitS']

Well, that's true. In fact, my son was just showing how far off this location is from the middle of the time zone.

But! Don't forget that the zones runs aaaalllll the way from the North to the South Pole!

And! This is NOT a wonderfully, perfectly round ball that we live on.

Further! This silly, lop-sided ball doesn't travel around the sun in a perfect circle . . . . . Strange enuf to say, we can't quite get the ball rounded properly no matter how much heavy equipment we've got scraping at it nor can we get the dang thing to go in a proper flight pattern! I think we need that shuttle pilot guy, Cap. Mark Kelly, to "true" it out a little better . . .

Here is an explanation - ha, I couldn't help but get one from "down under" in Australia - on "Why doesn't the latest sunset fall on the longest day of the year?" (link)

They're talking about Summer while we're talking about Winter but . ha! . it's the same day!!! (Sometimes I wonder about myself . . :/) Anyway, just substitute in words like short for long & summer for winter and realize how goofy things are in a great big nothing called Space and how silly it is to try to put a stop watch to it and pretend that it's gonna listen to the tick-tock .

Steve

 

[so lucky]

OK, I think I got it. Thanks for the link, Steve. And Seedcorn, I wasn't wondering why my particular sunrise differs from the calender info. I do understand the aspect of east-west location. I guess the tilt of the axis and the eliptical path of the sun is what was throwing me. And being so far from the equator. Right now I'd like to be a little closer to the equator.

 

[lesa]

The title of your post made me chuckle- we haven't even had the shortest day yet! Actually, I look forward to the shortest day- because that means right after that day- they do start getting longer!