When does it get dark where you are?

Subject: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Ted from Texas
Date: 14 Nov 99 - 10:29 PM

I know I learned this in high school. I know it gets dark at different times in other places. But I am not used to Idaho time. It is dark when I I get home at 5:00 and dark when I get up at 6:00. What time is it where you are?

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Nov 99 - 10:44 PM

Generally, it gets dark here in Ohio when the sun goes down, but in Memphis, the moon also has to come out and you're forced to beat your feet in the Mississippi mud while shouting before darkness can arrive.

Spaw

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 12:16 AM

TIme of darkness depends on three things:

1) How far North or South you are--the closer to the North or South pole, the greater the seasonal change between summer and winter. (Above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic circle, the day length [in summer] and night length [in winter] get so long they exceed 24 hours!).

2) The Season--days are longest/shortest at the Solstices (Dec. 21/June 21) and even (12 hours, no matter where on earth you are) at the Equinoxes (Sept. 21, March 21). Summer/Winter reverse between the Northern/Southern hemispheres; I'm not labelling any of these dates with Summer or Winter, because Mudcatters in the USA and Australia would disagree about which was which.

3) Where you are in relation to the center of your time zone. If you are on the Eastern edge of your time zone (e.g. Bangor [Maine] or Chicago), both sunrise and sunset will be early compared to points to your West. If you are at the Western edge (e.g. Columbus [Ohio] or Pierre [South Dakota], sunrise and sunset will be relatively late, no matter what the season.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 03:39 AM

Ted, it gets dark around 5 here too - are you sure you're in Texas, and not in England?

Steve (usually in the dark!)

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: MudGuard
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 04:06 AM

Right here where I am sitting now it gets dark as soon as someone switches off the light!

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: skarpi Iceland
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 07:42 AM

Hallo all, here in Iceland it dark at 16:50 today. oh men where is the light?. all the best skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: bob schwarer
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 07:54 AM

Too damn many lights for it to get really dark here. Lakeland, FL. Built a golf course/sub division across the road and it's lit up like mid day.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 08:00 AM

I find I'm putting the lights on at about 4.00pm here, but it doesn't get totally dark for another hour and a half after that. And you say Texas is dark like that. Mmm, maybe I'll stay here after all..... All that dark, and of course,it will be so much bigger..... ooer.

Time to light those bonfires and start praying for Sunreturn.....

LTS

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Allan C.
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 08:15 AM

I'm all for the bonfires, LTS. Let's torch a printout of this thread to get it started.

But first I'll share a poem I wrote about fire and such things:

SHADOW

Once I hid from you in darkness
I thought that was my only refuge.
But now I know. I know. I know!
Yes, I have your secret.

Damn you, you lackluster mime!
You will haunt me less now!

You hunger for want of light.
Moonlight, sunlight -
They bring you strength.
But fire; fire is different isn't it?
Flame makes you quiver in fear.

Ha! I will watch you tremble!
I will torment you with torches!
Your strength flickers.
Now I can keep you forever
In the world between light and dark!
There you have no power!
Here I do not fear you
As I sit by the fire
In the depths of my cave.

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Mbo
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 08:27 AM

It gets dark around here (Eastern NC) about 5:30.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 09:01 AM

Allen - I like the poem!

MMario

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 09:27 AM

I dunno' Mario.........I think Allan had it right when he said torch the sucker...........

Spaw

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 09:30 AM

Yeah, Allan was right about this one and several others that cropped up last night. Great poem, Allan!:-) Oh, and it gets dark here....at night, duh!

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Patrish(inactive)
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 09:40 AM

It gets dark here about 4.00pm. It is dark when I drive to work 7.30am and it is dark when I go home. I never see the sun much in the winter, unless I look out of the window.

kindest regards Parish

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 10:51 AM

When I saw the thread title I composed a typical "witty" BS response only to find when I read the threads that 'Spaw had (inevitably) beaten me to it! Damn! The medication obviously isn't working, back to the NYCftTS!
Here's mud in yer eye!
RtS

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: JedMarum
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 12:15 PM

it's a funny thing, but it usually gets dark here in Dallas in the evening and stays pretty dark until the morning.

;-)

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Penny S.
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 01:03 PM

Cut out two circles of card, one black and one white. On each of them, cut a radius, so you have a slot running half way across. On the white one, measure 23 and a half degrees from the slot, and draw a diameter from this point. Repeat this on the other side of the slot. Then measure 180 degrees less the angle of your latitude on both sides of the slot and draw an arc between the two points. Now interlink the two circles, so that the black circle covers the white half way round. This represents the equinox position. The arc which represents your latitude will be divided in half, and sunrise and sunset would be at six (morning and evening). If you move the black circle around to the 23 and a half degree line, you will be showing the winter solstice position. If you move it back, you will be showing the summer solstice position. Other dates lie in between, and I haven't worked the maths out yet. If you live above the arctic circle, the black will wholly cover your latitude line. This only works for one hemisphere at a time. The opposite one will look equinoctial all year round.

Penny

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 05:03 PM

It gets REALLY dark when I close my eyes. Does that means the sun goes down then?

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 08:11 AM

When you swith off the light, do you switch on the dark? Where does the light go? Does it get sucked back into the bulb for later use, or what?
It's getting too late, and dark 2305 hrs in Qld OZ. Regards, Ted

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Pete peterson
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 01:16 PM

Interesting to see the "serious" informative posts and the jokers-- maybe i am getting a Sign not to try to reinvent myself in midlife & become a science teacher! Ok; in latitude 30-55 N (which probably covers most of us) within three days, what day of the year is the earliest sunset?? I have won dollars betting on this one.

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 04:12 PM

Jokey answer - it doesn't get dark here - the land of the midnight mall - even before that, the light pollution on a cloudy night makes it possible to find the way everywhere, roads, woods etc with very little problem. I have to have blackout linings to the curtains to get to sleep, and even then I can see to cross the room with no difficulty.

Serious bit - that is a nasty question.

Here's another.

So, which bit of the landmass you are on will see the sun first on New Years Day?

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Mick Lowe
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 05:47 PM

I don't know about all you "non serious" surfers
For me it get's dark when I have to log off the mudcat
I mean guys.. come on get a life.. what are you doing looking out the window.. SEG
Mick

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From:
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 06:07 PM

It's lots of fun to curse the darkness rather than turn on the light. That's when I get to practice on all those ancient bawdy words I learned. Use 'em or loose 'em.

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 16 Nov 99 - 06:36 PM

OK Pete--I'll try to answer. I know that the shortest day of the year is not the same day as the latest sunrise, so I'll guess that the earliest sunset is about five days before the winter solstice, maybe about Dec. 17th. Do I win any bucks for that answer? BTW, I think it gets dark here in Kentucky at the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone at about 5:30 or so.

Mary

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Bob Landry
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 12:09 PM

Today, sunrise was at 8:03 am in central Alberta. Sunset will be at 4:35 pm ... that's about 8.5 hours of daylight but, since the sky is overcast, it will seem to be a lot shorter than that. As winter continues to approach, our days will get shorter until we'll be seeing less than 7 official hours of daylight a little by the time winter begins. On the other side of the calendar, we'll see over 17 hours of daylight as the glory days of summer return.

Bob

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 12:43 PM

Hi Mary-- thanks! December 8 (look it up) right idea, not quite brave enough

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From:
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 01:10 PM

as soon as an election gets called

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From:
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 01:21 PM

as soon as an election gets called

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: paddymac
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 06:21 PM

Whenever somebody starts "The Best of 'Spaw" thread, please be sure to include his first entry above. My sides still hurt. After trying to read the entries above (tears of laughter blurred my vision), it's apparent that for most of us, darkness starts sometime after the tenth pint, irrespective of the damned clock.

Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Nov 99 - 06:24 PM

Around here, it's December 13th. Admittedly by only a few seconds, and there is a long period with almost indistinguishable sunset times, beginning with the 8th, but the 13th is definitely it. I've checked on my planetarium program. and we are within the stated latitudes at 51 degrees 30 minutes.

Penny