Do the days get longer as the earth turns on its axis at a steady rate?

Question

It just seems that the days get longer very slowly in January and much quicker later in the spring.

Answer 1

The length of time that we have daylight per day changes slowly the closer we are to either solstice, and quickly (relatively speaking) the closer we are to either equinox.

Around December 21, for example, the length of time of daylight per day may change by only a few seconds day-to-day, but near March 21, it will change by about 3 or 4 minutes per day (in mid-latitudes such as in the USA).

So, your perception is correct!

For proof of this, you can do some research here:

http://aa.usno.navy.mil

Answer 2

If you look at the table for "Duration of Daylight" (see link below) you will see that the length of each day increases by about 1 minute per day from January 1 thru January 15. (The duration changes a total of 17 minutes over 15 days). Then from Jan 15 thru Jan 30 the duration changes 28 minutes. And so on. Overall, the rate of change for the duration increases slowly in Jan, then speeds up for a couple of months, then slows until June (the duration of daylight is still increasing, but it is increasing more slowly).

Here is a summary that, so it is easier to see the changes:

January 1-15: Duration increases by 17 minutes. (about 1 minute/day)
January 15-30: Duration increases by 28 minutes.
Feb 1-15: Duration increases by 34 minutes.
March 1-15: Duration increases by 38 minutes.
March 15-30: Duration increases by 41 minutes. (almost 3 minutes/day)
April 1-15: Duration increases by 37 minutes.
April 15-30: Duration increases by 38 minutes.
May 1-15: Duration increases by 30 minutes.
May 15-30: Duration increases by 26 minutes.
June 1-15: Duration increases by 11 minutes. (less than 1 minute/day)

After this the day length starts decreasing, but follows the same basic pattern.

So your perceptions are correct. I'm sure the actual calculations for this are very complicated, but I think the changing rates of duration increase/decrease are at least partially due to the fact that the "diameter" of the earth gets smaller as you get further from the equator.

Answer 3

how quickly or gradual we rotate on our own axis does not have something to do with how long the 12 months is. The 12 months is defined as how long it takes us to end one orbit around the image voltaic. in case you meausre that interior the process days, that are easily getting longer, then there will be much less days in a 12 months. yet that doesn't propose the 12 months replaced, it skill the days replaced. degree it in seconds (that are an absolute degree extremely than a relative one), and the 12 months is the comparable because it is often been :)

Answer 4

the time it takes for the Earth to rotate a full rotation is slowly (very very very slowly) increasing due to the Moon's gravitational pull.

Answer 5

YES THATS BECAUSE OF DAY LIGHT SAVING TIME, DAYS ARE ALWAYS LONGER IN THE INTER AND FALL.