A reader noticed that although the days are getting shorter, evenings are brighter than a week ago.
Evening light seems subjective. It depends on the weather and sunset. When there is snow on the ground, the world appears even brighter.
The Sun continues its path. Objective data shows that the earliest sunset in Tallinn occurs from December 12th to 19th at 15:20. On the winter solstice, the Sun sets a minute later. The latest sunrise is from December 26th to 28th at 9:19.
For Tartu, the earliest sunset occurs from December 13th to 18th at 15:21. The latest sunrise is from December 27th to 28th at 9:02.
The shortest day in Tallinn is from December 19th to 23rd (6 hours and 4 minutes). In Tartu, the shortest day is from December 18th to 24th (6 hours and 23 minutes).
Why is the latest sunrise and the earliest sunset not exactly on the solstice? This arises from the complex geometry related to the Earth. The Earth's orbit around the Sun is not perfectly circular. Therefore, the earliest sunset occurs before the solstice.
It has also been observed that the shortest day of the year in Tartu is longer than in Tallinn. Tartu is east and south of Tallinn. The further south you go, the longer the winter days become.
For Tallinners as a consolation: in summer, the longest day in Tartu is shorter than in Tallinn.