What time does it start getting light outside

It might still be cold and dark outside, but sunrise is getting earlier.

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Average length of day in Beijing
Sunrise and sunset in the most important cities of China
Sunrise and sunset by month (Beijing)
Where does the sun rise in China?
Duration of the sunset
International cities for comparison
What time does the sky start to get light?
Is it light outside before sunrise?
How long before sunrise is it light?
How long before sunrise is dawn?

The end of 2020 included the longest days of the winter, with an extra hour of sunlight added to each day by the last week in January.

The clocks going forward in March will bring an additional hour of light, but when can we expect the longest days?

The Winter solstice happens on 21 December 2020 - the shorest day of Sunlight

When is the shortest day of the year?

On this day, the UK received only 7 hours 49 minutes and 42 seconds of sunlight, starting with a 10.02am sunrise.

Since then, the days have been progressively longer but it won’t be until later in 2021 that you will really notice a difference.

The Winter Solstice largely marks the beginning of winter in the Northern hemisphere which means the coldest weather could be coming soon.

When will the days get longer?

The days get longer by an average of 2 minutes and 7 seconds every day after 21 December.

It won’t be until around 18 January that an extra hour of daylight will come, and every 28 days (four weeks) thereafter, an hour or so of sunshine should lighten the days.

The days will continue to get brighter until the Summer Solstice on 21 June 2021.

The Spring equinox (beginning of Spring) will take place on 20 March.

When will the clocks go forward?

It will get considerably lighter when the clocks go forward in the spring.

This will take place on 28 March 2021, adding an extra hour of sunlight to the hours when most people are awake.

How does the lack of daylight affect people?

A lack of sunlight in the winter months has been linked to a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

According to the NHS, a lack of sunlight might stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus working properly which may affect the production of melatonin, serotonin and the body’s internal clock.

This can lead to symptoms including anxiety, apathy, general discontent, loneliness, and sadness.

Some people who suffer from SAD can benefit from sitting by a therapy lamp, which replicates the natural light from the sun.

It is best to use it in the hours between waking and sunlight while you get ready, eat breakfast or work from home.

If you struggle to get up on dark mornings, a wake up light may make it easier. These give off an artificial light which mimics sunrise and allows your body to wake up more naturally, - as opposed to a noisy alarm.

Sunrise today: 6:55 h
Sunset today: 17:02 h

(Times for Beijing)
Sunrise and sunset times in China are determined by the moderate location in the northern hemisphere. Not as extreme as in the Nordic countries, but still noticeable. The days are longer in summer (June to September) than in winter (December to March). With up to about 15 hours, there are the longest days in June. The longest dark nights, on the other hand, are in winter. A December night in Beijing lasts almost 15 hours and the days start about 3 hours later.
During these days, the sun in Beijing rises at 6:55. The early sunset at 17:02 makes the day currently a bit too short.
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Average length of day in Beijing

sunshine duration twilight phase

Sunrise and sunset in the most important cities of China

The cities are ordered by their geographic position from east to west, so in an approximate direction of the sun's course. Since the orbit around the sun is elliptical, sunrise or sunset never happen on a whole longitude at the same time. All data given for November 13th., localtime in China

Sunrise and sunset by month (Beijing)

Where does the sun rise in China?

The sun always rises in the east, everywhere and regardless of the country or continent. The easternmost city in China is Fuyuan in Region Northeast China (Dōngběi). There, the sun rises at 6:04 am and sets at 3:29 pm these days. The latest sunset is currently experienced in the west in the city of Kashi (Northwest China (Xīběi)) at 19:44.

Duration of the sunset

The distance from the equator and the path of the sun determines not only the time of sunrise and sunset. The farther a country is from the equator, the more oblique the sun's path is to the horizon, causing sunset to last for a different duration. Beijing lies on the 40th degree of northern latitude and is therefore quite far away from the equator. While a sunset near the equator lasts only about 20 minutes, in China, this period averages 34 minutes. In June, it's about 36 minutes in Beijing, while in December it's 31 minutes.

International cities for comparison

All Countries with DSTA summary of all countries that currently observe Daylight Saving Time with further info on introductions and upcoming changes.

Chinese - Worldwide distributionInternational distribution of mother tongue Chinese including regional allocations. Mainly in in Hong Kong.

What time does the sky start to get light?

It starts lightening at about one hour before sunrise,and as John said,it depends from the location of the Sun comparing to the Earth also depends from the seasons,but the difference is just a few minutes.

Is it light outside before sunrise?

In its most general sense, twilight is the period of time before sunrise and after sunset, in which the atmosphere is partially illuminated by the sun, being neither totally dark or completely lit.