The length of the day in January 2022 - Moscow, Saint Petersburg

Daylight hours in the central part of Russia
Day length in January in other regions of Russia
Length of a day in the Arctic Circle
Longest day in 2022

Day length (aka daylight hours) is the difference in time between sunset and sunrise. In temperate latitudes, where most of Russia is located, this indicator differs significantly between seasons. Let's see what the length of the day will be in January 2022.

Daylight hours in the central part of Russia

Traditionally, the shortest daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere are in December. After the winter solstice (December 22), a slight increase in the length of the day begins, which at first is completely imperceptible. However, during January, the day continues to grow, which allowed our ancestors to call it "prosinets", which means the time of the addition of sunshine.

The length of the day is in January and does not depend on the year, so it will be the same in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and any other similar period. In Moscow at this time it is the height of winter and daylight hours this month are quite short. However, every day it gradually increases and on the last day of the month it is already 8 hours 32 minutes.

During the second winter month, the time of sunrise and sunset is constantly changing. The first value is shifted to an earlier time, and the second to a later one.

The height of the sun above the horizon during its zenith changes from 11.72 ° at the beginning of the period to 17.04 ° at the end. This indicator affects the duration of daylight hours and is determined by the geographical latitude of a particular area.

The short day length in Moscow directly affects the air temperature, since due to the lack of solar heat, the air is significantly cooled. This is especially true inside the continents, where the climate is more continental. Therefore, in the Russian capital and many cities of the country, the second month of winter is rightfully considered one of the coldest.

Day length in January in other regions of Russia

When determining the length of the day in any part of the planet, the phenomenon of refraction is taken into account, that is, the refraction of light in the optical system. Due to this effect, in the middle latitudes, where the main part of Russia is located, the length of the day increases by about 10 minutes.

Russia is a huge country, so on its territory there is a fairly large spread in the length of the day. The longest daylight period, as expected, is observed at the southernmost point of the Russian Federation, located in the area of Mount Ragdan (longitude 41 ° 17 ′ N lat.). In the Dagestan city of Derbent, located nearby, on January 1, the length of the day is 9 hours 11 minutes, and on the 31st it is 10 hours exactly.

At the northernmost mainland point of the country, Cape Chelyuskin (77 ° 43 ′), located on the Taimyr Peninsula, this month there is a polar night and the sun does not appear above the horizon at all.

In cities located to the north, the length of the day in January 2022 increases faster, but the daylight period itself remains noticeably shorter than in more southern ones. This is due to their different geographical latitudes, as well as the declination of the sun. However, regardless of the location of the settlements, in each of them January is characterized by a short daylight hours.

Length of a day in the Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle passes through the territory of Russia, which acts as the conditional border of the onset of the polar day or night (depending on the season). About 20% of the territory of our country (about 3 million km2) is located north of this imaginary line. Quite large cities are located in this zone - Murmansk, Vorkuta, Norilsk, Salekhard, Naryan-Mar.

The existence of this period is explained by the inclination of the axis of rotation of our planet to the plane of the ecliptic, the magnitude of which is about 23 ° 26 ′. RF is located in the Northern Hemisphere, therefore, the complete absence of the sun is observed here mainly in the first two winter months. The civil polar night is recorded in January until latitude 72 ° 34 'inclusive.During true noon, there is some improvement in visibility and additional lighting can be excluded for some time. With a slightly cloudy sky, sunlight reflected by clouds is even observed at these hours, but the daylight still does not rise above the horizon.

Longest day in 2022

The length of the longest day depends on the latitude at which the observer is. The farther north, the longer the day. In the Far North, a polar day reigns, when the Sun in some places does not set below the horizon for weeks. In southern cities, the day is rather short against this background, and the Sun sets very early.