Sunrise: 7:09 AM
Sunset: 4:59 PM
Length of the day:
9 hours and 50 minutes
Because the thermometer drops below zero more times in January than any other month, many of us perform that morning ritual of looking at the thermometer to check the temperature. The red column of liquid we stare at is NOT mercury as is often presumed, but alcohol with a coloring agent added. Mercury, first used by Daniel Fahrenheit, is a silver-colored metallic liquid, is also used in more expensive thermometers. Digital thermometers use no liquid, instead measuring electrical resistance to calculate the temperature.