PORTLAND, Oregon — Portland is about to experience its first 8 p.m. sunset since August.
The sun will set at 8 p.m. on the dot Wednesday and continue to gain until the summer solstice on June 20, the longest day, when the sun will set at 9:03 p.m.
Portland metro sunset tracker
If you're looking towards spring and summer with anticipation of having more sun in the evenings, here's a breakdown of when the biggest sun gains will be, from springing forward to the summer solstice:
- April 17, sunset will be at 8 p.m.
- May 11, sunset will be after 8:30 p.m.
- June 12, sunsets will start to be after 9 p.m.
- July 8, marks the last sunset at 9 p.m.
Why do we have more daylight in the spring and summer?
At different times of the year, the earth's axis is pointed toward or away from the sun, meaning the Southern and Northern hemispheres receive different amounts of daylight. During the spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, then away during the fall and winter.
This means that the sun's path across the sky is longer in the spring and summer when the North Pole is closer to the sun giving the days more daylight.
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