DOST: Longest night of the year to happen on Dec. 22

The country will have its longest night of the year this Thursday, December 22 as the Sun reaches its winter solstice according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Association (PAGASA).

LONGEST NIGHT. The Sun reaches the winter solstice, or the farthest point south of the equator, on December 22 at 6:44 pm Philippine Standard Time (PST). Primer file photo

PAGASA made the announcement on their Facebook page last December 1. In an interview with Philstar.com, Dario dela Cruz, chief of DOST’s Space Sciences and Astronomy Section, he said “the duration of the longest night will be most lengthy in extreme northern Luzon and shortest in Mindanao.”

COMPLETION OF ANOTHER CIRCUIT. “Earth has now completed another annual circuit around the Sun.” The Philippine Astronomical Diary, made by PAGASA, tells us when the solstice and equinox happened during 2016. Image grabbed from Dost_pagasa Facebook page

Basco, Batanes will experience the country’s longest night, lasting for 13 hours and 5 minutes. Metro Manila’s night on December 22 will be 12 hours and 46 minutes, while Cebu City will experience a 12-hour, 28-minute night.

General Santos City, one of the southernmost cities in the country, will experience one of the shortest nights by comparison at 12 hours and 14 minutes.

Source: PAGASA, ABS-CBN News, Philstar.com, Philippine News Agency