The Sun Will Set Too Damn Early Today

Though living through 2017 has felt like existing within a figurative chamber of darkness, today that sentiment will transcend mere metaphor and take on a brutal literalism. The sun will set before 5 p.m. Eastern in New York City, kicking off what many would consider the most depressing time of the year.

According to NY1 Weather, the sun will set at 4:46 p.m. in New York City on Monday. The outlet reports the next sunset after 5 p.m. won’t occur until January 21, so it’s really all downhill from here. At least the days start getting longer after December 21, right? Regrettably, the existential dread and seasonal affectiveness issued forth by The Void will have consumed us all by the Winter Solstice.

Of course, these super early sunsets are mostly due to our obscure concept of time. At least this once, it’s not global warming or aliens or the lizard people who secretly control the weather. Daylight Saving officially ended this weekend, which means we see a little more sunshine in the morning and a hell of a lot less of it in the evening. Somehow, it gets worse: According to Time and Date, from December 3 through the 12th, the sun will set in New York City at 4:28 pm Eastern. For non-morning people, this is incredibly bleak.

“For real, fuck that,” Inverse’s entertainment news editor tells me. “I would much rather have it dark in the morning, since waking up sucks regardless, than for the sun to set almost two hours before I leave work. It’s going to be months where the only time when i see the sun is when I venture out from my fluorescent-lit office to go outside to buy unhealthy food for lunch.”

Here’s to hoping that this year’s Darkest Season is at least somewhat manageable. The world feels a little too grim right now, even without the weather.

If you liked this article, check out this video on how light pollution affects the planet.