Seattle reaches its first 8pm sunset

• Suddenly, the city seems a bit more party-friendly.
• Parks, patios and waterfronts start filling up.
• And people are more willing to make evening plans.

By the numbers: Seattle sits at about 47.6° north latitude, high enough to amplify the Earth's tilt, creating darker winters and longer summer days than most of the U.S.

• In December, the sun sets as early as 4:20pm here.
• By contrast, summer sunsets stretch past 9pm, with nearly 16 hours of daylight around the solstice.

Yes, but: The tradeoff comes later when we get those long, dark winter days.

What's next: Sunsets will keep getting later until late June, when Seattle approaches its longest day of the year and twilight lingers till nearly 10pm.