However, there were, we found, exceptions even during the comparatively long Mars Hill periods of the year. Turned out to be a 1,660 feet high elevation known as Mars Hill, located on the New Brunswick line north of Maine’s Washington County, which, incidentally, proudly proclaims itself as “The Sunrise County of the U. For much of the remaining dates in the year, we discovered the winner to be sort of a dark-horse candidate. The only times that West Quoddy Head wins, we found, are those mornings from March 7 to March 24 and then from September 19 to October 6. It would be West Quoddy Head, but for the fact that for up to five minutes, the hills of Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, block the sun on the mornings of those dates, thus making Cadillac Mountain the winner. Our findings: Between January 11 and March 6 as well as between October 7 and November 29, the sun first hits the top of Cadillac Mountain on the island of Mt. Where in the United States Does The Sun Shine First? | Expert Findings Wiggin, then the puzzle editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, I undertook an exhaustive study of the matter.

But then I found that not everyone agreed. I used to reply that the answer to “where in the United States does the sun shine first?”was West Quoddy Head, Maine, which is New England’s easternmost point of mainland. But where, exactly where, does it shine first? Over the years, many readers have written (or e-mailed) us here at Yankee Magazine asking us that very question. Note that the angles are not to scale so as to show the three twilight categories with more clarity.Everyone agrees that the sun shines least during the month of December. The figure below shows civil, nautical and astronomical twilight. But diffuse light sources such as galaxies, nebula, and globular clusters need to be observed under a totally dark sky, again when the sun is more than 18 degrees below the horizon. Point light sources such as stars and planets can be readily studied by astronomers under astronomical twilight. But to test the limits of naked eye observations, the sun needs to be more than 18 degrees below the horizon.

Under astronomical twilight, the horizon is not discernible and moderately faint stars or planets can be observed with the naked eye under a non light polluted sky. In astronomical twilight, sky illumination is so faint that most casual observers would regard the sky as fully dark, especially under urban or suburban light pollution.

Begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon.

Absent fog or other restrictions, outlines of terrestrial objects may still be discernible, but detailed outdoor activities are likely curtailed without artificial illumination. In general, the term nautical twilight refers to sailors being able to take reliable readings via well known stars because the horizon is still visible, even under moonless conditions.

Begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.Under these conditions absent fog or other restrictions, the brightest stars and planets can be seen, the horizon and terrestrial objects can be discerned, and in many cases, artificial lighting is not needed. Evening civil twilight begins at sunset, and ends when the geometric center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.

Therefore morning civil twilight begins when the geometric center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, and ends at sunrise. Begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.However there are three categories of twilight that are defined by how far the sun is below the horizon. In its most general sense, twilight is the period of time before sunrise and after sunset, in which the atmosphere is partially illuminated by the sun, being neither totally dark or completely lit.

When does the sunrise today