ELI5/Summer Solstice Sunset Time

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It seems to me that the longest day of the year (summer solstice) sunset times have shifted.

In my memory, sunset used to occur closer to 10pm. (For reference, I’m in Missouri, USA, central time zone.) the latest sunset this year was about 8:55pm.

Does the sunset shift over time based on orbits or rotation? If so, can you give a brief overview of what has happened & the timeline of that?

Thank you!

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5 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

There may be some tiny change in solstice sunset times from year to year but I’d be surprised if it was more than a minute or two.

You might be remembering extra light due to dusk. It takes a while for it to get dark after the sun has gone below the horizon. For example, they generally don’t start July 4th fireworks until after 10.

Check websites that give numbers for “civil twilight”.

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