Editing Openai/69304892-a0b0-800c-94bc-95e15766d912 (section)

=== Assistant: Ah, yes — this is a classic case of the “minute rounding” problem in sunset/sunrise tables combined with the analemma e… ===
Ah, yes — this is a classic case of the “minute rounding” problem in sunset/sunrise tables combined with the analemma effect. Let’s break it down carefully.
# Tables usually round to the nearest minute. If the table says sunset is 4:09 pm on Dec 8 and 4:10 pm on Dec 19, it might actually be 4:09:30 pm on Dec 8, 4:09:45 pm on Dec 10, etc. The true sunset time can vary by seconds, but the table only shows full minutes. So it’s very possible that the sun does start getting earlier in seconds after Dec 8, but the table doesn’t show it because it hasn’t crossed the full-minute threshold.
# The “latest sunrise / earliest sunset” phenomenon. Around early December in mid-latitudes (Ireland is ~53°N), the earliest sunset occurs before the winter solstice (around Dec 21). This happens because of the equation of time, which accounts for Earth’s axial tilt and orbital eccentricity. Sunrise continues to get later after the earliest sunset, which is why the day keeps shortening even though sunset seems “stuck” for a while.
# Seconds matter. If you look at tables or software that give sunset times in seconds, you’d see that after Dec 8, sunset might get earlier by a few seconds, then slowly reverse and start getting later again. The one-minute resolution hides this subtle trend.

✅ Conclusion: The sun doesn’t literally “stop” setting earlier. Between Dec 8 and around mid-December, the sunset is at or very close to its earliest time, but it may fluctuate by seconds. The table just rounds these changes to the nearest minute.

If you want, I can calculate the precise sunset times in seconds for each day around early December at 53°N so you can see exactly what’s happening. Do you want me to do that?