The Days Are Growing Longer

By Matthew M. Johnson

We have progressed deeper into winter, transitioned into a new White House administration and into a new year since my December/January column for Norfolk Now. And since the Winter Solstice of last December, our days have continued to grow longer if only by a few minutes. As months pass, the minutes add up. 

The month of February starts with sunrise at 6:57 a.m. and sunset at 4:59 p.m., giving us 10 hours and two minutes of daylight and 13 hours and 58 minutes of nighttime. By month’s end, on Feb. 28 (this being a non-leap year) sunrise will begin at 6:21 a.m. and sunset at 5:53 p.m., affording 11 hours and 12 minutes of daylight. Thus, we have added two hours and five minutes to our day since the shortest day of the year occurring on Dec. 21, 2024. 

As I compose this article during the first weeks of January, the first day of astronomical spring and the vernal equinox of March 20, 2025, seem very distant, especially with punishing low temperatures and winds punctuated by powerful gusts. However, when the February issue reaches the mailbox, springtime will only be a month and some away.

Anemoi—the wind gods of the Greeks will soon shift away from Boreas and toward Zephyrus, the softer west wind of spring and early summer. 

Moon Phases: 
Feb. 5: First quarter (right half of moon illuminated)
Feb. 12: full moon
Feb. 20: Last quarter (left half of the moon illuminated)
Feb. 27: New moon (no visible moon). The best time of the month to observe faint objects such as distant galaxies and star clusters. 

Meteor Showers: 
There are no major meteor showers in February, but there will always be an occasional meteor streaking across the sky

Notes:
The next leap year is 2028.

Curious about the origins of February? The short version is that February is from the Latin: februa. It means to clean or to purify. The Roman Fegrulia was a festival of atonement and purification that took place in February. You can also look back to the Middle English word feverer, from the Old French feverier, which was based on the Latin februarius, which was derived from februa, the name of the purification feast held in this month. The spelling change in the 15th century was due to association with the Latin word.

There are two ways that set the dates of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteorological seasons are a way to divide the year into four seasons based on temperature cycles. They are used for climatological and meteorological statistics. Astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, The dates vary slightly: astronomical winter is from Dec. 22 to March 21; meteorological winter is from Dec. 21 to Feb. 28 or 29.