non tech tip - Sunsets are now getting later! (though the days are still getting shorter)

The earliest sunset (4:18 pm) of the year was on December 10^th, so we can enjoy more evening sunlight (sunrise does not start getting earlier until December 31^st (8:05am), however!) …

The December Solstice (Winter Solstice) is on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 2:44 am in Victoria. This day is 7 hours, 48 minutes shorter than on June Solstice (3 and a half minutes shorter than today). In most locations north of Equator, the shortest day of the year is around this date.

To understand why the latest sunrise, earliest sunset and shortest day are different one has to understand the “equation of time” – basically the difference between “clock time” and “sun time”. Basically “solar days” (solar noon to solar noon) vary in length. A good explanation can be found here: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/equation-of-time.html. Another good article can be found here: http://earthsky.org/earth/winter-solstice-and-late-sunrise. Yet another here: http://earthsky.org/tonight/earliest-sunset-today-but-not-shortest-day.

If you want to get all nerdy about Victoria’s “sun stuff” you can go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/canada/victoria

Enjoy the sky! (even though we can’t see much of it today!)

Cheers

Mike

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Mike Jackson, Science Teacher

Senior School Technology Coordinator

St Michaels University School, Victoria, BC