The Sun is a Late Riser

Sunrise Behind the Trees
Laurel, MD
November 26, 2019

Yesterday morning while walking to my truck in the parking lot of the club where I played racquetball in Laurel, I noticed that it still was not light out and that the sun was only beginning to brighten the skyline behind the trees. The streetlights were still illuminated. Sunrise was still more than 20 minutes away and while it was good that the sun was rising, I realized that for the next few weeks, until January 8th, it will continue to rise later in the morning.  

Here are the sad statistics.

Sunrise today was at 7:02 AM. By the end of 31st of December, sunrise in Baltimore will occur at 7:25 AM. I was amazed to find that even after the solstice on December 21st, when sunrise occurs at 7:22 AM, it will continue to occur later in the morning. It will be at its latest from January 1-7, 2020, when sunrise is at 7:26 AM. I guess the Sun prefers to sleep in during early January. I know that seems counterintuitive given that the daylight is actually lengthening during that period. The actual change in daylight from December 22 until January 7 is 11 minutes 51 seconds and it is all in later sunset times. 

And now for the real depressing thought, sunrise will not occur at 7:02 AM again until February 12, 2020. It truly is the season of darkness.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD