The next full moon will be the last of four consecutive supermoons

Our 24-hour clock is based on the average length of the solar day. The day of the winter solstice is sometimes called the “shortest day of the year” (because it has the shortest period of sunlight). But it could also be called “the longest day of the year” because the longest solar day is on or just after the solstice. Because the solar days are longer, the earliest sunset of the year occurs before the solstice and the latest sunrise of the year (ignoring daylight saving time) occurs after the solstice. For the Washington, DC area, the sunsets on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, 2024 are independent of the earliest sunsets. On Friday, twilight begins in the morning at 6:10 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 7.13, noon will be at 11.59, when the sun reaches its maximum height of 28.5 degrees, sunset will be at 4:45:50, and the evening twilight ends at 17:49. On Saturday, twilight begins in the morning at 6:11 AM EST, sunrise will be at 7:14, the sun’s noon will actually be at be at 16.45.50, and dusk ends at 17.49.