A lot of information in a very readable format.
Another winter, another drawn out slog though ever shortening days.
This year, in addition to the usual pattern of increasingly diminishing daylight, I have for whatever reason also been paying attention to the actual path of that low December sun.
And until recently I was doing a good job of keeping this new routine rooted in tangible, real life experience. Then the internet seized hold.
Did you know that in these parts, the sun goes from reaching a maximum angle of elevation in the sky of almost a 70° in June to less than 25° now. Not only that, but the total travel of the east to west path from sunrise to sunset goes from well over 240° in the summer to 150° now. (The sunset doesn’t even make it past due west after September). All the details can be interpolated on this chart:
The positive trade off is the angular, more horizontal moving light. The sunset lasts a lot longer and the golden hour is like an hour long, even if the hour in question starts at 4:30. And of course one of the best things about the west coast is that the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean, the biggest thing in the world. It’s been pretty striking to watch this year and I have collected some photos. I suppose that’s the point here.
Cue the clickable content:
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