Shortest Day

[Dod101]

We in the northern hemosphere are well into the longest night I suppose, and tomorrow is said to be the shortest day. It is certainly bleak where I am. Light about 8.45am and dark again around 3,45pm. Is the night as short in midsummer? I suppose it must be.

Dod

[mc2fool]

We in the northern hemosphere are well into the longest night I suppose, and tomorrow is said to be the shortest day. It is certainly bleak where I am. Light about 8.45am and dark again around 3,45pm. Is the night as short in midsummer? I suppose it must be.

Dod

You're asking us? I don't think I've been in Scotland exactly on the summer solstice but in general summer visits I remember sunset being around 10pm and sunrise around 4am (BST).

[Breelander]

Is the night as short in midsummer? I suppose it must be.

The longest day in the northern hemisphere is 21st June and, depending on how far north you are in the UK, it is between about 16½ to 17½ hours long. Meaning the night would between 7½ and 6½ hours long.

The following tables contain information on the length of the day on the 20th June, close to the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere and winter solstice of the Southern Hemisphere (i.e. June solstice). The data was collected from the website of the Finnish Meteorological Institute on 20 June 2016 as well as from certain other websites.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_so ... _the_north

[Dod101]

Yes I guess you are correct but it does not immediately come to mind at the moment. Dull grey days make it even shorter, but I suppose that around 7 hours of daylight is all we can expect right now, which is why I have some sustenance laid in in the form of liquid.

Dod

[Breelander]

Yes I guess you are correct but it does not immediately come to mind at the moment. Dull grey days make it even shorter.

Well look on the bright side (pun intended). From tomorrow the days are going to get longer

[mc2fool]

The longest day in the northern hemisphere is 21st June and, depending on how far north you are in the UK, it is between about 16½ to 17½ hours long. Meaning the night would between 7½ and 6½ hours long.

The UK goes quite a bit further north than that.

Lerwick on 21-Jun-21, sunrise at 03:38 , sunset at 22:34, length of day 18h55m33s

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=6

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Yes I guess you are correct but it does not immediately come to mind at the moment. Dull grey days make it even shorter, but I suppose that around 7 hours of daylight is all we can expect right now, which is why I have some sustenance laid in in the form of liquid.

Dod

Ah ha! An excellent plan. If I may augment please

1. Do not waste time opening curtains
2. Do not waste time getting dressed or having your morning shower
3. Get some ready meals in - ding ding
4. Obtain several tubs of Quality Street or Heroes - preferably both
5. Binge watch Harry Potter or Star Wars

Merry Christmas

AiY

[swill453]

It doesn't start getting lighter in the mornings for about a fortnight (latest sunrise in London happens after December 30th).

The evenings have already started to get lighter though.

Scott.

[Dod101]

The longest day in the northern hemisphere is 21st June and, depending on how far north you are in the UK, it is between about 16½ to 17½ hours long. Meaning the night would between 7½ and 6½ hours long.

The UK goes quite a bit further north than that.

Lerwick on 21-Jun-21, sunrise at 03:38 , sunset at 22:34, length of day 18h55m33s

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=6

Just imagine Lerwick at the moment!

Dod

[Arborbridge]

Today the date is a rather nice one: 21-12-21. (for those who like numerology!)

[mc2fool]

The longest day in the northern hemisphere is 21st June and, depending on how far north you are in the UK, it is between about 16½ to 17½ hours long. Meaning the night would between 7½ and 6½ hours long.

The UK goes quite a bit further north than that.

Lerwick on 21-Jun-21, sunrise at 03:38 , sunset at 22:34, length of day 18h55m33s

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=6

Just imagine Lerwick at the moment!

Dod

Lerwick on 21-Dec-21, sunrise at 09:08, sunset at 14:57, length of day 5h49m12s https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=12

4-6degC, light rain and a moderate breeze. https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2644605

[kiloran]

And tomorrow....... we're on our way to Spring

If you zoom out on this site, you can see the day/night line, and how it's tilted so that the Shetlands is virtually the last place to see sunrise at this time of year https://www.metcheck.com/WEATHER/radar.asp

--kiloran

[scotview]

Too dreich for a winter solstice photo this morning but here's one from 2017.

[88V8]

Too dreich for a winter solstice photo this morning but here's one from 2017.

Is that a yard of ale he's holding?

I was in Iceland in midsummer, the sun never set. Shops were open until midnight.
The curtains in my hotel room were not on good terms with the windowsill and I had to block the resulting gap with books so I could get to sleep.
In winter of course they see no daylight. I don't think that the perpetual day or the endless night would agree with me.

V8

[marronier]

It may be of interest that this year's Winter Solstice effects the Stonehenge Rectangle in that ( subject to suitable conditions ) the Sarsen
Circle's shadow cast by the setting moon is aligned to stones 71 and 72 , while the rising sun casts the Sarsen shadow between stones 73 and 74. A rare event due to the metonic cycle.

[monabri]

Shortest day ...can't stand it..glad to get it over with !!

[kiloran]

The longest day in the northern hemisphere is 21st June and, depending on how far north you are in the UK, it is between about 16½ to 17½ hours long. Meaning the night would between 7½ and 6½ hours long.

The UK goes quite a bit further north than that.

Lerwick on 21-Jun-21, sunrise at 03:38 , sunset at 22:34, length of day 18h55m33s

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=6

Just imagine Lerwick at the moment!

Dod

Here's an interactive day/night terminator diagram. Nicely shows north-south differences at selected date and time
https://academo.org/demos/day-night-terminator/

--kiloran

[Dod101]

The UK goes quite a bit further north than that.

Lerwick on 21-Jun-21, sunrise at 03:38 , sunset at 22:34, length of day 18h55m33s

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=6

Just imagine Lerwick at the moment!

Dod

Here's an interactive day/night terminator diagram. Nicely shows north-south differences at selected date and time
https://academo.org/demos/day-night-terminator/

--kiloran

Thanks very much. That is very interesting. Reminds me of flying north from Perth to Singapore one evening at the end of January 2020 (it was good timing!)Looking east out of the aircraft it was dark and looking west daylight and directly below was the coast of Western Australia in a sort of half light for a short time.

Dod

[Bubblesofearth]

The UK goes quite a bit further north than that.

Lerwick on 21-Jun-21, sunrise at 03:38 , sunset at 22:34, length of day 18h55m33s

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lerwick?month=6

Just imagine Lerwick at the moment!

Dod

Here's an interactive day/night terminator diagram. Nicely shows north-south differences at selected date and time
https://academo.org/demos/day-night-terminator/

--kiloran

Where I live;

At the winter solstice there is 6 hours 56 mins light (between sunrise and sunset)

At the summer solstice there is 6 hours 22 mins dark (between sunset and sunrise)

Why the (quite big) difference? Is it due to the curvature of the Earth or some there reason?

BoE

[Bubblesofearth]

Where I live;

At the winter solstice there is 6 hours 56 mins light (between sunrise and sunset)

At the summer solstice there is 6 hours 22 mins dark (between sunset and sunrise)

Why the (quite big) difference? Is it due to the curvature of the Earth or some there reason?

BoE

Answering my own question it seems the difference is caused by refraction. The sun is visible above the horizon even when it is below it;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_refraction