The sun sure takes it's time to set around here

garyp · #1 03-01-2009, 11:50 PM

I was driving home tonight on a clear night just on dark. looking out the car window I could only see 3 objects in the sky, the moon, venus and one star.
This was at 10:35 pm. after another 15-20 minutes or so all the stars were visible.

Way down south the sun goes down even later.

I've got to sit around a while before I can get the scope out these long summer nights.

Probably Tassie is the place where the sun is latest in Australia. Is that right??? What time for you there? Hope you don't have to sit around as long as I do.

Cheers

Gary

Matty P (Matt) · #2 04-01-2009, 02:01 AM

And I thought 9:00PM was late.

Even though I hate the cold, winter is the best with the sky getting dark at around 6PM for me.

Tandum (Robin) · #3 04-01-2009, 03:16 AM

Gary, a lot of NZ is south of south. I'm pretty sure Invercargill is as south as it gets on the planet with humans. Only stewart island is further south. Are you that far south? I was there in xmas many years ago and it snowed xmas day.

To compare, it was 40C here the other day

garyp · #4 04-01-2009, 08:24 AM

Robin, I live about mid way down the South Island. I think Invercargill gets dark around 20-30 minutes later (from memory)

I remember once driving back from Invercargill one night a few years ago after 11pm. looking south I could still see a glow on the horizon from the sun set.

I too can also remember a light snow at xmas time and one year it snowed heavy in november

Cheers

Gary

acropolite (Phil) · #5 04-01-2009, 05:27 PM

The southern most tip of NZ is around 47 degrees south, Tassies southern most tip is aroound 43 degrees, Christchurch is about the same latitude as is the sothern most tip of Tassie. Sunset here in Launceston is around 8:28 (today), twilight ends around an hour later.

garyp · #6 04-01-2009, 11:08 PM

Phil I am just South of Christchurch which puts me pretty close to the same as Southern Tassie. The sunset here is around 9.30.

I have taken two shots only as record shots of time. The first was taken at 9.45pm tonight and the other at 10:05 pm tonight. All that's really visable is the moon and venus. actually the moon was visable for most of the day anyway.
We have daylight savings here and I guess you do too. But if not it would make a difference.

Matty, like you I like winter only for the extra viewing time it gives.

Cheers

Gary

sheeny (Al) · #7 05-01-2009, 07:52 AM

Twilight is also much longer at high latitudes...

Al.