Jen MDec 6, 2023
Jef Poskanzer

Earliest sunset in SF is tonight! At 4:49:43 pm. Tomorrow's will be one second later.

"But Jef," you ask, "it's not the solstice yet. How does that work?" I'm glad you asked! The solstice is the shortest day, but the earliest sunset and the latest sunrise are offset from it in opposite directions because the Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical. Sunrises are still getting later and will continue doing do until January 6th.

Dec 6, 2023 at 2:26pmWeb
Show threadJef PoskanzerJan 6, 2024
Update: we just had the latest local sunrise, although not much was visible through the overcast. Tomorrow's sunrise will be two seconds earlier and the weather should be clear & sunny all day. Spring is coming!
Show threadLuke KaniesDec 6, 2023
@jef @lmc look, can we just agree this thing is poorly engineered?
Show threadClariDec 6, 2023
@jef sounds like a wonderfully south thing, our sun angle is now so low that you can only take good photos when facing in a northerly direction.
Show threadFinchHaven sfbaDec 6, 2023

@jef

Meanwhile, central Puget Sound/metro Seattle-Tacoma WA, sunset is 4:19 pm PST

Whee…

cc @SFBayTide

Show threadI Can't Believe It's Not Zero!Dec 6, 2023

@jef @palvaro is the earliest sunset on different days in different places (in the northern hemisphere)?

Edit: yes!
https://earthsky.org/upl/2017/11/earliest-sunset-stephen-aman.jpg

Show threadI Can't Believe It's Not Zero!Dec 6, 2023
@jef @palvaro (in hindsight, this is obvious, because the time of sunset is a continuous function of location, etc, etc, but it’s still pretty surprising as far as my intuition goes.)
Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Dec 7, 2023
@steve @jef @palvaro I wonder what role the arbitrary nature is Daylight Savings etc. plays. Are sunrises and sunsets offset due to elipticality even if the time is calculated based on true noon?
Show threadLarryDec 7, 2023
@steve @jef @palvaro
Is there also a map of latest sunrises?
Show threadLarryDec 7, 2023
@steve @jef @palvaro
https://earthsky.org/upl/2022/12/earliest-sunset-latest-sunrise-Brian-B-Climate-Blog-lg.png
Show threadricardo vacapintaDec 7, 2023
@jef isn't the axial tilt a greater contributor to the offset in the equation of time?
Show threadwauzDec 7, 2023
@jef
Oh, well. There's no world outside. We all confuse imagination with perception.
Btw: where is the floodlight from, that crashed last week right in front of us?
@Selena
Show threadScott GallowayDec 7, 2023
@jef Oddly posted at the exact sunset time where I am in Scotland :)(Well boosted 15:48)