IntInteresting.

hummh..... interesting.

For those of us who live in cold winter areas and have outdoor, cold hardy plants, that winter sun can be fierce..., despite the COLD. It can be hard on plants if the ground is frozen and the sun is beating down on broadleaf foliage, it can cause winter burn. And even deciduous trees and shrubs may have issues with frost cracks from both the heat of the sun and the cold. Indoor plants in a southern exposure also may benefit from some shading. We tend not to think about it, because in the northern hemisphere it is so cold for us at this time of year, but the sun is at its strongest in some respects now.

I was wandering why the day felt like it was 24 hours 20 seconds long. I guess because the sun is closer to our earth the earth cuts a longer arc around the sun and must turn for 20 seconds longer to reface the sun.

Steve

What always confuses me, is why the sunrises continue to get later even after the solstice (back in December), but the sunsets have been getting later since mid December (before the solstice in fact). Sunrises won't budge getting earlier until January 12th. There are numerous astronomical explanation online, but my eyes always glaze over reading them.

the sun needs to back off

The earth rotates from High noon Position to High noon position in 23 hours 56 minutes. The earth orbits the sun far enough that the earth has to rotate 4 more minutes to complete its 24 hour high noon to high noon solar day. In winter the earth cut a larger arc around the sun and must turn for 4 minutes 20 seconds to reach high noon. This pushes each day 20 seconds later. It isn't til January 12 that the daily day length increase catches up with the add 20 seconds per day when the sun rise no longer rises later.

Steve

"The earth rotates from High noon Position to High noon position in 32 hours..."

Don't you mean 24 hours?

Please, the days are long enough already!

Praise the lord..., LOL.

Peace out!