Des Moines, we're losing three hours of daylight

Brace yourselves, because darkness is coming.

Driving the news: In Des Moines, we lose three hours of daylight between June 20 and Sept. 22 — leaving us with just 12 hours of sun.

How it works: Here in the Northern Hemisphere, northern latitudes lose more daylight in the fall and winter compared to areas closer to the equator as the Sun's path through the sky shifts southward .

The big picture: Parts of the northern U.S. are losing more than three hours of daylight between June 20 (the summer solstice) and Sept. 22 (the fall equinox), per NOAA's handy Solar Calculator .

Reality check: Every year, some Iowa lawmakers try to make daylight saving time permanent, though pesky logistical questions always pop up, like how we'll work with neighboring states in different time zones.

Linh's thought bubble: My goal this year is to learn to embrace the colder months like our brethren up north . But before then, I'm going to soak up as much sun as I can.

Things to do while the sun is still up:

• 🍺 Play bags and grab a drink at the Des Moines Biergarten .
• 🍽 Soak in patio time by the Des Moines River or get some skyline views.
• 🛶 Paddle, swim or bike around Easter Lake's new park .

And things to do when it gets dark:

• 📚 Cozy up in some of the newer bookstores in the Des Moines metro.
• 🙈 Hide away at one of the speakeasies around town.

🌝 Embrace the dark and go on a full moon hike with Polk County Conservation.