Winter solstice: Longer nights than daytime in PH

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – If you feel like tonight is longer than usual, that’s because it really is. 

Earth has just completed another annual circuit around the Sun, according to state weather bureau PAGASA, and Philippine nights are currently longer than daytime. 

The Sun reached winter solstice past 7 am Monday, December 22 and the Southern Hemisphere is at its maximum exposure to the Sun. The Sun now lies at its farthest point south of the equator.

“It signals the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Philippine nights will be longer than daytime,” PAGASA acting administrator Vicente Malano said in a bulletin posted by PAGASA on its Facebook page Monday night.

The Philippines and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere experienced their longest night on December 22 due to the winter solstice.

Winter solstice usually happens around December 21. The occurrence results in the shortest daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours in the Southern Hemisphere.

Although nights are still longer after this occurrence, they will eventually get shorter (and the days will get longer) until the Spring equinox, when the length of night and day will roughly be equal.

Summer solstice, meanwhile, occurred in the Philippines last June 21, when the country was closest to the sun. This resulted in shorter nights and longer daytimes. – Rappler.com

Manila Bay sunset image via Shutterstock

Editor’s Note: We earlier reported that nights will be longer starting December 22 due to winter solstice. In fact, it was on December 22 when the night was at its longest this year. We regret the error.