It's all downhill to winter now, folks. 

You may have noticed that the days seem to be getting shorter lately, and you are not wrong. The summer solstice in June marks the longest day (the longest amount of daylight) of the year, and every day from there gets a bit shorter and shorter until we hit our shortest day in December (winter solstice). 

Tonight, we will enjoy our last sunset after 8 p.m. until May of 2021. You may not totally notice the change, as sunset will occur between 7-8 p.m. until the autumnal equinox in late September. At that time, sunsets noticeably start happening earlier and earlier (partly because of the end of daylight saving time in November), until we find ourselves driving home in the dark after work. In December, sunset times in Colorado happen before 5 p.m., which I think we can all agree, is a bummer.

The light changes are all a game of solstices and equinoxes. Because the Earth is tilted, we have specific times of the year where our amount of sunlight varies (aka seasons). 

The winter solstice, generally around December 21-22, marks when the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun, giving us in the Northern Hemispshere less daylight. The summer solstice in June is when the North Pole is tilted closest to the sun, giving the Northern Hemisphere the most daylight possible. 

Equinoxes are marked by the sun sitting exactly above the equator. The autumnal equinox (about September 23) and the vernal equinox (about March 21) are when the day and night are of equal length. Of course, the equinox in March means daylight is on the rise, marking spring and moving into summer, and the equinox in September marks waning daylight as autumn starts and we head into winter. 

This time of year, the earlier sunsets are also why we start seeing changing leaf colors. Because of the changes in the length of daylight and resulting changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and those gorgeous yellow, orange, and red colors usher in fall in all its slendor. 

Have you noticed the days getting shorter? Have you seen the colors of fall start to peak through? Let us know in the comments!