Summer/Winter Sunset Time Difference

[Brooker]

In Japan (at least in the Kanto area where I lived) there wasn't much difference in the time the sun went down between summer and winter. The sun always seemed to go down around 6 or 6:30pm no matter what time of year it was.

Here in Seattle (which is much futher north than Tokyo) there's a HUGE difference between summer and winter. In the dead of winter the sun will go down as early as 4:30p. In the summer there is still a little light in the sky at 10pm. We have daylight savings time, but that only accounts for an hour of difference.

What is the difference in sunset times between summer and winter where you live?

 

[Mike Cash]

In Japan (at least in the Kanto area where I lived) there wasn't much difference in the time the sun went down between summer and winter. The sun always seemed to go down around 6 or 6:30pm no matter what time of year it was.

Proving that perception is not reality.

 

[Duo]

here is pretty crazy. Brussels is such a gray city due to the clouds and rainy weather. In the winter it so hard to tell sometimes if it is still dark or if the sun has come up , you know when u are still sleepy and all. But umm generally in winter the sun will rise at around 6 45 -7 30 and set at lets say around 5 45 - 6 30.

In the summer it beginst to rise as early as 5, I have seen it myseslf many times, stayin up all nite, and will set in the middle of july at even late 11 pm....

 

[Brooker]

Proving that perception is not reality.

Would you care to enlighten me?

 

[lexico]

here is pretty crazy. Brussels ... In the summer it beginst to rise as early as 5, I have seen it myseslf many times, stayin up all nite, and will set in the middle of july at even late 11 pm....

The sun sets at 11 in Brussel summers, 51N latitude ? Here in Daijon the sun rises at 5-6 am, and sets at 6-7 pm. I am 36N latitude.

 

[misa.j]

In Japan (at least in the Kanto area where I lived) there wasn't much difference in the time the sun went down between summer and winter. The sun always seemed to go down around 6 or 6:30pm no matter what time of year it was.

Really? Hmm, I'm trying to remember, I think the days are actually longer in the spring and the summer in Japan, so sunset must happen at the later times, but it's not as distinguishable due to the light pollution.
Does this make sense?

Here in upstate NY where I live, sunset is around 8 pm in the summer and starts to get dark after 4 pm in the winter.

 

[Duo]

The sun sets at 11 in Brussel summers, 51N latitude ? Here in Daijon sunrigse at 5-6 am, sunset at 6-7 pm. I am 36N latitude.

Yep yep, i seen it myself
☝

 

[Mike Cash]

Would you care to enlighten me?

Certainly.

The reality is that the sun goes down considerably earlier in the winter than in the summer. Maybe you just didn't notice it because you're more used to the much larger difference in times of sunset caused by the use of daylight savings time in the U.S.

Or is this another of the basic laws of nature that Japan is exempted from?

 

[lexico]

The reality is that the sun goes down considerably earlier in the winter than in the summer. Maybe you just didn't notice it because you're more used to the much larger difference in times of sunset caused by the use of daylight savings time in the U.S.

Interesting idea. I was also thinking about refraction... sunlight entering the atmosphere in the winter's denser air would bend more => even when the sun should have set several minutes earlier if light travelled in a straight line, one would still see the sun, just about to set. On the contrary, sunlight entering the atmosphere un the summer's more diffused air would bend at a much smaller angle, giving the impression of earlier sunset. (Am I exaggerating :? )

Or is this another of the basic laws of nature that Japan is exempted from?

Funny you should say that, Mike. That idea kept teasing me since I first read Brooker's post !

 

[Mike Cash]

http://www.thesunrisetimes.com/Japan_North_East/Sibaura,_Tokyo,_Japan_/2005.aspx


July 01, 2005, sunset at 7:20
December 01, 2005, sunset at 4:47

A difference of two hours and thirty-three minutes.

 

[Kinsao]

Here in England, I notice a difference even depending on whereabout in the country I am (of course!). In summer, I take vacation for 2 weeks in the north of England. I was driving home from a friend's house at midnight or just after, and I noticed the sun only just below the horizon - it was still giving some light into the sky. This was noticeable too because there was very little light pollution there. Usually I would say for sunset in the north at early July time, about 2230. But, I return to the central England, and sunset seems about 2115 - hard to tell because I live in the city and also the weather was worse but definitely earlier and it's noticeable!

In the summer, the latest I normally notice light in the sky (here in centre) is around 2200 - 2230, and the sun is appearing around 0530 at earliest (not like I've really been around to see it much...!). In the winter, sun is up at around 0800 and it sometimes (when it's overcast) starts to look evening at 1500 and quite dark at 1600. It feels like a big difference to me!

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I Remember.....

when I was stationed in Alaska working different shifts. It was soooo confusing to look at your watch and not know if it was 10 at night or 10 in the morning. Seemed like the sun was always on the same spot on the horizon regardless of time of day.
Here in Maine, it seems like about 6 hours of daylight except for 3 months of summer.

Frank

 

[Pachipro]

Thanks for the link Mike! I also lived in the Kanto area. I always remembered the sun setting at about 4:30pm around New Years and at about 7:15pm in the summer.

With no daylight savings time, I never enjoyed it when it started to get light at about 3:30am after a night of partying in the summer.

 

[Brooker]

July 01, 2005, sunset at 7:20
December 01, 2005, sunset at 4:47

A difference of two hours and thirty-three minutes.

That sounds about right. That's a difference, but not a very substantial one compared to the six hour difference (including daylight savings) we get around here.

 

[Mike Cash]

It's substantial enough for those of us who work outdoors.

What I have never understood is Japan not adopting daylight savings time. If I were a construction worker, for example, I think I would like to start my work on hot-n-muggy summer days at or near sunrise instead of waiting for 8 o'clock when the sun has had a 4 hour headstart on me.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

Isn't there a big difference between actual sunset and when the light disappears from the sky? In the UK summer, I think sunset is at about 9:30, but there is some light until maybe 11:00. It is hard to tell if you live in a built-up area. In the summer we only get a couple of hours real darkness, even less if it's cloudy.

 

[lexico]

O, why didn't I think of that ! In addition to reflection and refraction, there's the common behavior of light called scattering-- but it is surprising that scattering would produce an effect that lasts for 90 minuites after sunset making the immediate post-dusk hours quite capable of unassisted night-vison. Cities with more dust/fume would naturally allow more scattering esp. if the cloud of dust/water droplets were of a higher elevation.

 

[Duo]

that makes sense.... brussels is always cloudy, and always at night the sky seem more gray than dark. Coupled with the fact that there are so many lights in the country and the relative small size of it may add to this factor.