Earliest sunset comes before winter solstice

Posted by Bruce McClure and EarthSky Voices | December 3, 2022



View larger. | The shortest day is at the solstice. But the earliest sunset comes before the solstice, in early to mid-December for latitudes like those in the U.S. Likewise, the latest sunrises come in early January. This map shows the number of days between earliest sunset and latest sunrise, and the dates of the earliest sunsets and latest sunrises themselves, for various latitudes. The dates hold true around the globe. Map via Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49 on Twitter, or via Brian B.’s Climate Blog). Used with permission.

Earliest sunset isn’t on the shortest day

For the southernmost U.S. and similar latitudes – around 30 degrees north latitude – the earliest sunsets of the year are happening around now, because they come in late November and early December. For latitudes farther north – around 40 degrees north latitude – the year’s earliest sunsets will happen in the coming week, the week of December 5, 2022. For instance, that would be the latitude of New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Kansas City, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; Reno, Nevada; Beijing, China; Madrid, Spain; and Naples, Italy.

Meanwhile, what about the Southern Hemisphere? At this same time, for 40 degrees south latitude, the year’s earliest sunrises happen this week, as you progress toward your longest day at the December solstice.

Then, closer to the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, the earliest sunset and earliest sunrise happen nearer the solstice.

Want to know the date of your earliest sunset (or sunrise)? Sunrise-sunset.org provides the sunrise/sunset times to the second, for locations around the globe.

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