The Philippines, along with the rest of the world, will experience this year’s longest night on December 22. The onset of the winter solstice is responsible for this astronomical phenomenon, which is expected to stretch the night to more than 12 hours here in the country.
Onset of Winter
According to the Philippine Star, the winter solstice signals the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It also means that the earth has “completed another annual circuit” around the sun. The astronomical phenomenon will also see the sun farthest from the equator, exactly at 6:44 p.m. on December 22.
During this phenomenon, the shortest day is also experienced especially in countries located north of the equator. For example, in Nordic and Baltic countries, the day can be as short as 3 to 7 hours, and nighttime is therefore much longer. For the Southern Hemisphere however, or the other half of the world below the equator, this time of the year signals the start of their summer.
The winter solstice is also known as the December solstice. A similar phenomenon called the June solstice or the summer solstice, signals the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. During this time, the Nordic countries can experience more than 20 hours of nighttime.
Different Duration in Different Areas in the Philippines
The Philippine Star report cited the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the state weather bureau, that said that the duration of nighttime will also depend on one’s location in the Philippines.
Given that nighttime is longer in places that are farther away from the equator, this meant that those living in Northern Luzon will experience a longer night, compared to those living in Mindanao. According to the report, Basco, Batanes will have 13 hours and five minutes of nighttime, compared to only 12 hours and 14 minutes in General Santos City.
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