As winter solstice marks astronomical start of season, here’s what sunrise and sunset times look like

Early Saturday morning, the appearance of the 2024 winter solstice marked the astronomical beginning of winter and was greeted with appropriately frigid temperatures.

The event also marks the shortest day of the year, where sunrise and sunset times are closest to each other, as opposed to the longest day of the year, which occurs near the summer solstice.

With some of the shortest days of the year ahead, here’s what you need to know about the winter solstice, as well as sunrise and sunset times in the Chicago area.

When does the sun rise and set this week in Chicago?

Saturday is the shortest day of the year, with a daylight duration of nine hours, seven minutes and 44 seconds, with sunrise at 7:15 a.m. and sunset at 4:22 p.m., according to timeanddate.com.

The long-awaited lengthening of the days finally begins on Sunday, although you probably won’t notice the change for a while.

Here’s a look at the sunrise and sunset times for the next few days as Christmas and Hanukkah approach, with the times changing only seconds each day at first before more noticeable changes near the new year.

• Sunday, December 22: 7:15 a.m. to 4:23 p.m.
• Monday, December 23: 7:15 a.m. to 4:23 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 24: 7:16 a.m. to 4:24 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 25: 7:16 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.

For New Year’s Eve, the length of day will be nine hours, 11 minutes and 31 seconds, almost four minutes longer than the length of day on Saturday.

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What is the winter solstice?

The first day of astronomical winter in the northern hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice, which in 2024 will take place on Saturday, December 21.

“The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight throughout the year, making it the “shortest day” of the year.” The Old Farmers’ Almanac says. “Fortunately, after reaching the winter solstice, the days begin to get longer and longer until they reach the summer solstice, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.”

When is the winter solstice?

This year, the winter solstice occurred at 3:21 am Central Standard Time on Saturday, December 21. according to the National Weather Service.

However, the winter solstice doesn’t last a day, it only lasts a moment, when the hemisphere moves as far away from the sun as possible, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Can you see the winter solstice?

More or less.

Each day, the sun traces a path across the sky, rising in the east and setting in the west. As the winter solstice approaches and the number of hours of sunlight in a day decreases, the sun’s path descends in the sky, although it follows the same general arc.

When the winter solstice arrives, the sun is positioned as low as possible in the sky.

As a result, the shadow you cast becomes longer and longer as the winter solstice approaches. So while solstices aren’t as visible as eclipses, if you go out at noon during the winter solstice, your shadow will be the longest of the entire year.

When will the days start to get longer?

While the winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, it also means more sunlight on the road.

Around New Year’s Day, Chicago will continue to gain light each day, but sunrise will occur late in the year, with the sun rising around 7:18 a.m. each day.

By the end of January, Chicago will gain two minutes of daylight per day and sunset will occur after 5 p.m. for the first time since daylight saving time ended on November 3.

January 30 will also be the date when Chicago eclipses 10 hours of daylight, with increasing gains as winter continues.