Making Hay

There is an old saying about making hay while the sun shines - recognition that farm chores last as long as there is daylight.

We know that the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year yet the latest sunset of 2023 occurs today.

The solstice marks the farthest point of advance in the sun's relentless march to the north. A week ago , June 21, the advance ceased.  The word solstice literally translates to: sun standing still.  Following this event the sun begins to march in the opposite direction and heads south with our daylight hours getting shorter.  Daylight will continue to dwindle until December 21 - The dark days of the winter solstice - and the first astronomical day of winter after which the process reverses and repeats itself.    

All of this aside, there is a curious paradox in play as a few evenings immediately following the solstice seemingly and inexplicably get brighter.  

If you were to check your Farmers' Almanac sunset tables on pages 146 and 148 you would note that from June 21 thru July 3 the sun wil set a few seconds later today compared to yesterday or tomorrow.

What gives?

We all know that following the solstice the day grow shorter so logically the sun should be setting earlier, no?

Here in the northern hemisphere, where you live halfway between the equator and the north pole, on the 26th, 27th and 28th of June the sun will set just a few seconds later.  While this would seem to defy both logic and the science about days getting shorter; as a consequence of our elliptical orbit around the sun and the phenomenon astronomers call analemma the earth is several million miles farther from the sun and moving at the slowest speed around it.

Most of you may not be making hay today; nevertheless, enjoy a couple of extra seconds of sunlight as you take-in another sunset.