Shrinking hours of daylight govern Steamboat lifestyle
Friday, October 12, 2012
Steamboat Springs — The shortening of the hours of daylight each autumn is inevitable and difficult to overlook. But it’s also easy to track precisely for anyone curious enough to visit the website of the U.S. Naval Observatory.
The first blush of sunrise in Steamboat Springs on Friday showed up at 7:08 a.m., announcing the arrival of daylight that would last for 11 hours and 15 minutes. By Oct. 19, the span of daylight residents of Steamboat will enjoy for work and recreation will have shrunk to 10:57 as we move unavoidably toward the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year on Dec. 21. On that day, there will be just 9 hours and 17 minutes of daylight in Steamboat Springs, according to a table at the Naval Observatory website.
As a practical matter, the hours of daylight at Steamboat’s latitude of 40.48 degrees north will be within a few seconds of 9 hours and 17 minutes from Dec. 16 to 24. By the middle of January, the growth in the period of daylight here will be almost noticeable, increasing by about a minute per day.
Readers interested in tracking the change, or computing the differing rates of change at other cities they are familiar with should visit the search field at the Naval Observatory.
To reach Tom Ross, call 970-871-4205 or email tross@SteamboatToday.com
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