Over the hump.

[joinerman]

Shortest day of the year today, nights will start drawing out now, lol

 

[silvercruiser]

Nearly, it's tomorrow

 

[Paddler Ed]

Longest day and the first day this summer we needed the aircon on here... took the house down to a sensible temperature so we could sleep - the night before we didn't bother and it was a crap nights sleep.

 

[joinerman]

It's today Joe

 

[Dave Docwra]

I believe it is the 22nd..

 

[SteveS]

The Independent says it is tomorrow - here's why: (note earth orbit is 365.25 days not as written below - leap year every 4 years)

Britons are set to breathe a collective sigh of relief as the country welcomes the shortest day of the year - before the days start getting longer and brighter.
Winter solstice 2015 will fall on 22 December, when the sun's daily maximum height in the sky is at its lowest, and the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun.
The solstice is usually on 21 December, but comes a day later this year for the same reason we have leap years - the Earth’s orbit takes 365.5 days, so each year the solstice is pushed back by another six hours.
This year, the solstice will occur in London at 4.49am, with sunrise expected at 8:04am. The sun will set at 15:54, which means there will only be just under eight hours of daylight on 22 December.

 

[joinerman]

Grovel grovel, yep tomorrow

Slinks off the thread

 

[silvercruiser]

Lol no need to slink Off. at least your on the right track and looking forward to longer evenings.

 

[frank rabbets]

Although it is the shortest day both ends of the day are not extended equally regarding daylight. After the shortest day it still continues to get darker in the mornings but lighter later in the nights. So in the above example shortest day is 8.04 -15.54 but the next day the day will be longer but the times will be something like 8.08-15.60. Or is it the other way round ?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

That's the right way round Frank, it is asymmetric, sunset has been getting later in the day before the shortest day but slower than sunrise is getting later so the shortest day is when the rate of change in sunset catches up with the rate of change in sun rise and then as you say for a little while sunrise is still getting later but not by as much as sunset is getting later.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Bit here from CSIRO... slightly light hearted, but goes some way to explaining it.

 

[frank rabbets]

The length of the day is determined by it's spinning but that in turn is altered by the earth moving around the sun so you get an advance/retard effect effect on sun rises and sunsets. Mid day also alters as well so compared with a clock reading noon the sun advances up to vertical then beyond and back again over a year. I think that is because although the earth spins at a constant rate it's travel speeds up as it approaches the sun then slows down to a minimum when it is farthest from the sun. This gives an advance/retard effect on the height of the sun at mid day clock time. I had to learn all this years ago so I could make my clocks.