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When does it get dark where you are?

14 Nov 99 - 10:29 PM (#136141)
Subject: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Ted from Texas

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?


14 Nov 99 - 10:44 PM (#136153)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: catspaw49

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


15 Nov 99 - 12:16 AM (#136208)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Charlie Baum

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


15 Nov 99 - 03:39 AM (#136244)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Steve Parkes

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

Steve (usually in the dark!)


15 Nov 99 - 04:06 AM (#136246)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: MudGuard

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


15 Nov 99 - 07:42 AM (#136262)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: skarpi Iceland

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


15 Nov 99 - 07:54 AM (#136263)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: bob schwarer

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.


15 Nov 99 - 08:00 AM (#136265)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Liz the Squeak

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


15 Nov 99 - 08:15 AM (#136269)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Allan C.

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.


15 Nov 99 - 08:27 AM (#136271)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Mbo

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

--Mbo


15 Nov 99 - 09:01 AM (#136277)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: MMario

Allen - I like the poem!

MMario


15 Nov 99 - 09:27 AM (#136283)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: catspaw49

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

Spaw


15 Nov 99 - 09:30 AM (#136286)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: katlaughing

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!


15 Nov 99 - 09:40 AM (#136292)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Patrish(inactive)

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


15 Nov 99 - 10:51 AM (#136324)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Roger the skiffler

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


15 Nov 99 - 12:15 PM (#136363)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: JedMarum

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

;-)


15 Nov 99 - 01:03 PM (#136385)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Penny S.

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


15 Nov 99 - 05:03 PM (#136479)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: MMario

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


16 Nov 99 - 08:11 AM (#136746)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Ted from Australia

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


16 Nov 99 - 01:16 PM (#136860)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Pete peterson

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.


16 Nov 99 - 04:12 PM (#136948)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Penny S.

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?


16 Nov 99 - 05:47 PM (#137001)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Mick Lowe

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


16 Nov 99 - 06:07 PM (#137010)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From:

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.


16 Nov 99 - 06:36 PM (#137029)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Mary in Kentucky

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


17 Nov 99 - 12:09 PM (#137396)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Bob Landry

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


17 Nov 99 - 12:43 PM (#137410)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Pete Peterson

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


17 Nov 99 - 01:10 PM (#137424)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From:

as soon as an election gets called


17 Nov 99 - 01:21 PM (#137430)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From:

as soon as an election gets called


17 Nov 99 - 06:21 PM (#137560)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: paddymac

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.


17 Nov 99 - 06:24 PM (#137563)
Subject: RE: When does it get dark where you are?
From: Penny S.

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