Updraft: June 30, 2008 Archive

Maximum sunset

Posted at 7:26 AM on June 30, 2008 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)

Boaters enjoy a late 9:03pm sunest Sunday on Lake Minnetonka

This is a magical time of year in Minnesota.

Summer is taking hold with warmer days, warmer lakes, abundant sunshine and long daylight. In fact, sunrise and sunset people are enjoying the extra daylight with the brightest mornings and longest evenings of the year over the past week or so.

Our latest sunsets of the year continue through July 1st in Minnesota. In the Twin Cities our sunset "peaks" at 9:03pm through tomorrow. Due to the curvature of the earth, the sun set as late as 9:30pm near Hallock and Roseau. That means it's still pretty light at 10pm these days!

Sunset time is calculated by a number of organizations including the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. They are one of the oldest science organizations in the country and have been at it since 1830. USNO calculates precise time, sun and moon data for locations all over the world.

USNO sun and moon data

Precise sunset time assumes a level horizon, and the point when the last of the sun's disc disappears below the horizon. Our Minnesota lakes with a western view offer the best opportunity for viewing precise sunset.

Enjoy the earliest sunrises and latest sunsets of the year these days!

PH

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