Today is the darkest day of the year, but Michigan starts gaining sunlight tomorrow
The sun setting over Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Township (Amber Ainsworth/FOX 2)
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Thursday marks the winter solstice, the day with the least daylight, but there's some positive news - more daylight is on the way.
Michigan will start seeing more daylight on Friday as both the sunrises and sunsets get later. This increase will be gradual - only a few seconds a day - as the year winds down.
First day of winter is December 21: Here's the science behind the winter solstice
Winter officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 21 with the winter solstice – the day with the least amount of possible daylight and the longest night.
On the solstice, Dec. 21, the sun rose at 7:59 a.m. in Detroit. It will set at 5:04 p.m. On New Year's Eve, it'll be rising at 8:01 a.m. and setting at 5:09 p.m., according to Time and Date.
By Jan. 5, we will start seeing an extra minute of light daily, with that amount rising each day. A month from today, there will be almost two minutes more of daylight.
This trend continues into June, with Michigan gaining six hours of daylight over the next six months.
These sunrises and sets are for Detroit and may differ by a few minutes depending on your location. Check the sun graph for your location here.
Twilight is also getting longer, meaning the sun's rays are still in the sky after it has set or before it has risen over the horizon.