G. writes: "I love November because of the way the light gets so low angle and sad, it really says 'Winter' more than any other one thing... Well now we’re all of 6 weeks out from the equinox, but I swear the light says 'Spring' as opposed to 6 weeks before the equinox when it says 'Winter'."
He wants to know, can the angle actually be different. I think so, the ecliptic tilts the analemma—but it's hard to see how that little bit would make a difference, and I can't quite wrap my brain around the geometry. Then again, he's a painter; I should just believe him...
Later. I think it's about how early in the year the earliest sunset falls. The sun set at 4:47 PM on November 6 (Samhain, to mix the cross-quarter days in there), and at 5:17 on February 3 (Imbolc). That is enough to notice.
What we have at the moment:
Thursday 5 February 2009 Pacific Standard Time
Begin civil twilight 7:03 a.m.
Sunrise 7:36 a.m.
Sun transit 12:28 p.m.
Sunset 5:21 p.m.
End civil twilight 5:54 p.m.
Meanwhile, at Summit Camp on the Greenland Ice Sheet, the sun came back this week. The woman I know up there is staying for another rotation. She will have experienced the whole cycle, from autumn to no light to constant light, before she leaves.
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