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I looked up the parallels for Bellingham Washington and Thunder Bay Ontario. Both are at the 48th parallel but Thunder Bay's sunset is at 9:46. The sunset in Bellingham is 9:00. How can that be if they're both at the same parallel? Would it be due to elevation?

I looked up the parallels for Bellingham Washington and Thunder Bay Ontario. Both are at the 48th parallel but Thunder Bay's sunset is at 9:46. The sunset in Bellingham is 9:00. How can that be if they're both at the same parallel? Would it be due to elevation?

(post is archived)

[–] • 8 pts

Elevation has nothing to do with when the sun rises or sets. Thunder Bay is on the extreme western edge of the Eastern Time Zone, hence the late sunset. You can witness the same phenomenon happen in Williston, North Dakota where the sun stays up until 9:58 on the longest day of the year, because it's on the extreme western edge of the Central Time Zone.

It's really all about how far east/west you are in a timezone that affects what time the sun rises and sets.

[–] • 2 pts

Just to add to your point to really exaggerate it: If you travel a little bit West from Williston, and now find yourself in the Mountain time zone, your sunset will be at 8:58 on the same day that it is 9:58 in Williston.

[–] • 2 pts

Once upon a time, communities had 'local time' , calculated from high noon in that location. The railroad changed that. The railroad's travel speed compared to horse and buggy, and the need to standardize and simplify schedules led to the adoption of time zones.

[–] • 2 pts

Mountains do that.

[–] • 1 pt

Not really any mountains over by Thunder Bay, mostly just larger hills. Bellingham has the volcano Mount Baker but it sits on sea level.

[–] • 1 pt

Well, the answer is obvious. The earth must be flat! Also, let me tell you about how viruses aren't real and the gray space aliens control congress but the reptile aliens are even worse.

Just kidding. I'm not a retarded jew faggot. They have different elevations. Thunder Bay is much higher so has a lower horizon.

[–] • 0 pt

I looked that up after I left this and there's only about a couple hundred foot difference. I don't think that would make much of an impact. *Yukon brought up a good point.

[–] • 1 pt

What, that the earth is flat? Yeah he's right.