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Still light at 7:30pm in Delhi? It’s not your imagination. Here’s why evenings are stretching longer—thanks to Earth’s tilt, the summer solstice, and clearer skies this season
While life goes on as usual in those sunlit corners of the world, the extended daylight here in Delhi-NCR has left many people surprised. (News18 Hindi)
You’ve probably heard about the long summer days in parts of Europe—like Norway, famously called the Land of the Midnight Sun, where the sun sets around 11 pm and rises again just after 1 am. Similar phenomena occur in countries like Finland, Iceland, Russia, Canada, and Greenland, where the sun doesn’t set at all for nearly 60 to 90 days.
Now, something similar, though not quite as extreme, is happening closer to home. If you’re in Delhi-NCR, you’ve likely noticed that evenings are stretching unusually long. The question on many minds: Why isn’t it getting dark even after 7 pm?
While life goes on as usual in those sunlit corners of the world, the extended daylight here in Delhi-NCR has left many people surprised. Most of us know that days begin to lengthen from March, but what’s happening now feels more noticeable. In March and April, sunset typically occurs between 7:00 and 7:15 pm. But by May and June, that time stretches to nearly 7:22 pm. In fact, during June and July, daylight can last up to 14 hours. For example, on June 19, the sun rises at 5:22 am and sets at 7:22 pm.
This isn’t just limited to Delhi-NCR. The same is experienced across Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and even parts of Punjab—regions that lie between 25° to 37° north latitude. These areas are currently tilted more directly toward the sun.
Over 500 years ago, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus explained that the Sun remains fixed, and it’s Earth that revolves around it. Though his ideas weren’t accepted in his lifetime, his theory reshaped our understanding of the solar system. Galileo supported this and was famously placed under house arrest for it. Long story short—sunrise and sunset aren’t about the Sun moving, but about where we are on Earth as it spins on its tilted axis.
Scientifically, late evenings in Delhi-NCR are due to the region’s geographical position. Located at 28.6° north latitude, Delhi lies in the northern hemisphere. Around June 21 or 22, the Summer Solstice takes place. This is when Earth’s northern half is tilted most closely toward the Sun. Because Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5°, the Sun’s rays fall more directly on this part of the planet.
That’s why the Sun rises earlier and sets later. Add to that the relatively cleaner skies in NCR during summer—with lower levels of haze and pollution—and the daylight appears to stretch even longer.
So, the next time you find yourself glancing at your watch at 7:30 pm and wondering why it’s still light outside, just remember: it’s Earth’s tilt, not magic.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
- First Published:
