Why The Sunsets Earlier In New Jersey Than Most States This Fall

We're getting into that disappointing time of the year where the sun starts to set earlier, and earlier each day, not only calling an end to summer but also indicating our march towards winter.

Watching Sunsets Along The Jersey Shore

READ MORE: Toms River Is Getting A New Mediterranean Restaurant, And We Can't Wait!

My wife and I live in Ocean Gate, and have noticed this a lot over the past week or so. We like to walk to the Wildwood Avenue Pier to catch sunset each night, and we've had to leave the house earlier and earlier each day since Labor Day in order to catch a glimpse of the sun setting over the Toms River.

Why Do Sunsets In New Jersey Happen Earlier Than In Other States?

What's wild to me is that in Jersey, the sun sets earlier than in other parts of the country.

According to APP, Jersey is one of only a handful of states that will see the sunset before 7 PM before September 19th.

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How's that fair?

The Science Behind New Jersey’s Early Sunsets

It's actually science, and all about where our state sits in relation to the Earth's Axis.

The reason Jersey will see the sunset earlier than other states is because of our relation to the poles; the closer a state is to the pole, the sooner that state sees the sunset.

How Michigan’s Sunsets Compare To New Jersey

For example, Michigan is the only state in the Eastern Time Zone that will see the sunset past 7 PM until October 13th due to its relation to the pole, and the fact that the state sits closer to the Midwest, but is still part of the Eastern Time Zone.

Finding Positives In New Jersey’s Shorter Days

There are some positives to the changing of the season; there's a cool crisp in the air, it's flannel season, and you can drink an Oktoberfest while smoking a pulled pork in the backyard, but losing the sun earlier in the day is a real drag.