In A Timely Manner

As to length of the day, January 1 doesn’t mean much of anything.

Let’s start with the equator.  Although not exactly, every day is 12 hours long throughout the year.  By the time you go north halfway to the pole, or 45 degrees North Latitude, and that’s where I live, things have changed somewhat.  Here the length of day varies with the passing of the seasons.  If the day’s length changes here, but not at the equator, then logic tells us it must change by varying, but lesser, amounts between the two points.  Just to establish another reference point lets use the North and South Carolina border, which is about 35 degrees north of the equator.

At the time of the Vernal Equinox, about March 21^st, the length of the day is equal everywhere.  By June 21^st which is the Summer Solstice the longest day of the year has appeared north of the equator.  Here it will be about 15 hours and 37 minutes long, but down there in the Carolina country it will only be 14 hours and 31 minutes long.

At the time of the Autumnal Equinox, about September 21, everything has about equaled out again all over the earth.

About December 21^st, or the Winter Solstice, here halfway to the north pole our day has diminished to 8 hours and 46 minutes long.  Those dear Carolinians yet have a 9 hour and 48 minute day, or an hour more of daylight than we northerners.

This all works out very well.  When its cold up here in the northern climes we have nice long nights to cuddle and/or sleep.  In the south when it’s the long hot days of summer they have less daylight hot hours to contend with than we of the cooler temperatures.  Somehow it seems to me we northerners have the best of this situation with the longer warm days of summer, and the longer colder nights of winter.

Today, here in northern New York, our day was about the same length as Thanksgiving Day, or 20 minutes longer than it was Christmas Day.  In about three weeks it will be the midpoint of winter, and all downhill into spring.