The changing daylight hours thread

[Scuba steve]

Noticing it now another month and the worst is over 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

Oooh light at 5!

[Summer8906]

16:39 and the sun just about visible. 40 mins gain from the earliest sunset in December. In the next few days, I think we'll achieve later sunsets than the last Sunday in October when the clocks went back.

Mornings still slow but I noticed the sun just a couple of minutes after 0800 this morning so it's moving there too.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Summer8906

[*Stormforce~beka*]

I was going to post about the morning light too. It was quite bright at 8 when usually we have the lights on. Almost didn't need

[Summer8906]

The first dull morning since the 14th but it still seemed a lot lighter at 8am than I have been used to; I guesstimated 8.30am before looking at the clock.

Hopefully the same will apply in the afternoon in that the extra daylight compared to December will be noticeable despite the dull conditions.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

Just checked the exact times of sunset, and sunset today is the same time as Halloween. So we already have lighter evenings than the whole of November.

[ManiaMuse]

21 hours ago, Summer8906 said:

Just checked the exact times of sunset, and sunset today is the same time as Halloween. So we already have lighter evenings than the whole of November.

Yes and tomorrow's sunset is equivalent to the sunset on the day after we put the clocks back an hour in October which makes it seem silly that we have to wait another two months before putting the clocks back forward.

[al78]

2 hours ago, ManiaMuse said:

Yes and tomorrow's sunset is equivalent to the sunset on the day after we put the clocks back an hour in October which makes it seem silly that we have to wait another two months before putting the clocks back forward.

I'm guessing the lag between the clock change and the winter solstice is because the weather is warmer and evening/outdoor activities are far more likely to be taking place in October compared to February hence the lighter evenings are more useful. I think it would be good if the clocks went forward at the beginning of March rather than the end as I would find the lighter evenings useful for pre-season preparation on the allotment.

[summer blizzard]

I personally oppose the clock change proposals. I'm perfectly happy with things as they are. I enjoy the summer light and really don't want an extra of darkness in the morning.

[Sunny76]

It was noticeable these past few days with the clear blue skies, but on a cold foggy day like today, the lighter evenings still feel a long way off.

Mornings are still pretty dark too, so not much gains at that time of the day.

[Dangerous55019]

Well it been over a month since the winter solstice, and the increasing daylight is really noticeable now. 

For my area, the sunset this evening is at 16:41... Exactly the same time as it was on Halloween! 
Plus we have gained almost 25 minutes in the morning as well.

The pendulum is well and truly swing back the other way now. 

[damianslaw]

The dim light at the end of the long dark winter tunnel is beginning to flicker more strongly now, and we have firmly past the dark period of the year, as others have said we are seeing sunset at the same time as Halloween today.

What a difference clear skies in the late afternoon make at this time of year, the last 3 days have been gloomy and cloud filled and light levels all day low, a sudden descent into dusk and dark by 4.30pm, whereas today we saw light linger past 5pm. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by damianslaw

[cheeky_monkey]

31 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

The dim light at the end of the long dark winter tunnel is beginning to flicker more strongly now, and we have firmly past the dark period of the year, as others have said we are seeing sunset at the same time as Halloween today.

What a difference clear skies in the late afternoon make at this time of year, the last 3 days have been gloomy and cloud filled and light levels all day low, a sudden descent into dusk and dark by 4.30pm, whereas today we saw light linger past 5pm. 

it will be Mid April until i see much of any light on my morning walks

[Scuba steve]

Pretty much the same sunset time as the first evening of wintertime ,the next month will break the back of the miserable darkness 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Scuba steve

[Summer8906]

48 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

The dim light at the end of the long dark winter tunnel is beginning to flicker more strongly now, and we have firmly past the dark period of the year, as others have said we are seeing sunset at the same time as Halloween today.

What a difference clear skies in the late afternoon make at this time of year, the last 3 days have been gloomy and cloud filled and light levels all day low, a sudden descent into dusk and dark by 4.30pm, whereas today we saw light linger past 5pm. 

Clearly you don't have the same weather as down here! A gloomy evening here but noticeably less dark than it would have been in December.

I actually thought the air behind this front was pretty cloudy so surprised you had a decent extension of daylight today.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

10 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

Clearly you don't have the same weather as down here! A gloomy evening here but noticeably less dark than it would have been in December.

I actually thought the air behind this front was pretty cloudy so surprised you had a decent extension of daylight today.

Yea it was dark early here again too. Lights on before 5

 

 

[damianslaw]

13 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

Clearly you don't have the same weather as down here! A gloomy evening here but noticeably less dark than it would have been in December.

I actually thought the air behind this front was pretty cloudy so surprised you had a decent extension of daylight today.

The cold front moved through fairly early and skies cleared through the afternoon. Admittedly further south you went the cloudier the afternoon was. Believe me the last 3 days though have been thoroughly miserable, coinciding with absolute peak mid winter blue period, onwards and upwards. If ever a Blue Monday it was 23 Jan this year, not 16 Jan which was very pleasant weatherwise overall.

Edited January 25, 2023 by damianslaw

[sundog]

The last week of January is when I always properly start to notice the days  getting longer.  6 months from now , the last week of July is when I notice the days getting shorter.....

[damianslaw]

42 minutes ago, sundog said:

The last week of January is when I always properly start to notice the days  getting longer.  6 months from now , the last week of July is when I notice the days getting shorter.....

I agree its around now we 'turn the corner' so to speak... same as you say with last week of July, both also mark a subtle shift in pysche, that sense we have 'bottomed' out season wise, and mark the start of the slow transition out of the mid winter and summer state of mind, its a slow one, note the 'start' - we are firmly in mid season still, by Mid Feb and mid August (second week of both months is when a definate marked shift takes hold I feel and we transition into late season state). Last week Jan/first week Feb and also last week July/first week Aug typically bring the coldest and hottest periods of the year. In a general state I find these periods rhe most satisfyingly grounded periods of the year, you know where are you with them, its winter, its summer, and everything feels like true winter and true summer, even if the temps and weather may not be playing ball.

Edited January 25, 2023 by damianslaw

[Earthshine]

Almost through what is IMO the worst month of the year for SAD sufferers.  Next month we will soon see the first 10 hour day(light) of the year and the sun climbing ever higher in the sky.  The steeper incident angle of sunlight becoming more noticeable as things just look brighter and more alive.

[MAF]

Can't wait for the sunset time to be after i get home from work; 1800'ish 

12th March for 1800 (in London) but can be happy with 1700 on 6th Feb as its still going to make the working day daylight.

after i have worked many years in windowless environments and working shift for ten years made it even more depressing i crave daylight sooo much 

changing clocks would make no difference to me. making more daylight by some magical process would

Edited January 25, 2023 by MAF

[Maz]

28 minutes ago, Earthshine said:

Almost through what is IMO the worst month of the year for SAD sufferers.  Next month we will soon see the first 10 hour day(light) of the year and the sun climbing ever higher in the sky.  The steeper incident angle of sunlight becoming more noticeable as things just look brighter and more alive.

SAD is really hitting at the moment.  Had done really well until the Christmas period, but a slog since.

I like to split the year into 3month segments, corresponding to the sine curve in day lengths:

Dark - 6 weeks either side of winter solstice. 

Lightening -3months early Feb to eary April

Light- 6 weeks either side of summer solstice

Darkening - early Aug to early Nov (thanks to the clocks until late October really)

Which means, in my mind, from next week it is 9 months without SAD.  Doesn’t quite work like that as I find a lag effect in my moods and it takes time to recover in Feb/Mar.  It is a positive prospect though.

 

 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

1 minute ago, Maz said:

SAD is really hitting at the moment.  Had done really well until the Christmas period, but a slog since.

I like to split the year into 3month segments, corresponding to the sine curve in day lengths:

Dark - 6 weeks either side of winter solstice. 

Lightening -3months early Feb to eary April

Light- 6 weeks either side of summer solstice

Darkening - early Aug to early Nov (thanks to the clocks until late October really)

Which means, in my mind, from next week it is 9 months without SAD.  Doesn’t quite work like that as I find a lag effect in my moods and it takes time to recover in Feb/Mar.  It is a positive prospect though.

 

 

Interesting! I don't usually feel better until March.

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, sundog said:

The last week of January is when I always properly start to notice the days  getting longer.  6 months from now , the last week of July is when I notice the days getting shorter.....

I refuse to acknowledge the decline in daylight in July. Summer is still going strong until mid August for me, and then I notice the slow decline into autumn.

[*Stormforce~beka*]

59 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

I refuse to acknowledge the decline in daylight in July. Summer is still going strong until mid August for me, and then I notice the slow decline into autumn.

Me too! Too soon lol