---
title: 'Spring Equinox Sunset Watch – 2015'
url: 'https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/spring-equinox-sunset-watch-2015'
markdown: 'https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/spring-equinox-sunset-watch-2015.md'
date: '2015-03-16'
description: "It’s time for the 24th seasonal sunset watch!! When:\_Friday, March 20th at 7:10pm (so come at 6:45pm) Actual sunset is supposed to be at 7:22pm, but we have noticed that the Sun sets about 10 minutes earlier than the USNO says it does, so I’ve moved the time of our sunset watch up so we don’t mi…"
taxonomy:
  category:
    - Event
    - Scheduled
  tag:
    - Earth
    - Event
    - 'Solar System'
    - Sun
    - "Tonight's Sky"
    - 'West Seattle'
---

# [Spring Equinox Sunset Watch – 2015](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/spring-equinox-sunset-watch-2015)

   16th Mar 2015   [Earth](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Earth#body-wrapper) [Event](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Event#body-wrapper) [Solar System](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Solar%20System#body-wrapper) [Sun](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Sun#body-wrapper) [Tonight's Sky](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:Tonight's%20Sky#body-wrapper) [West Seattle](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/tag:West%20Seattle#body-wrapper)  

It’s time for the 24th seasonal sunset watch!!

- **When:** Friday, March 20th at 7:10pm (so come at 6:45pm)

    - Actual sunset is supposed to be at 7:22pm, but we have noticed that the Sun sets about 10 minutes earlier than the [USNO](http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-day-us) says it does, so I’ve moved the time of our sunset watch up so we don’t miss it.
    - The equinox moment is at 3:45pm… but we’re watching the sunset because of how the park lines up.
- **Where:** [Solstice Park](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/blog/2009/06/solstice-park-west-seattle) – all the way up the hill from the tennis courts (or, if you’re not in Seattle, wherever you have a view of the western horizon!)
- **Who:** Everyone welcome, as usual, I’ll bring preschool activities to this one.

[![Parent and Child at Sunset by Kazuhiko Teramoto](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/user/pages/blog/spring-equinox-sunset-watch-2015/Parent-Child-Silhoutte-Sunset-by-skyseeker-on-Flickr-small.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyseeker/1345190119/)Parent and Child at Sunset by Kazuhiko Teramoto, skyseeker

Come watch the sunset at Solstice Park in West Seattle. We’ll see if the sunset lines up with the placed marker. I’ll be there even if it is cloudy because sometimes the Sun peeks through just as it begins to set, but if it is driving rain or sleet I’m staying home with some hot tea!

If you’re interested – here’s the timing of various celestial events from Seattle, courtesy of the [U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department:](http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-day-us)

> **Sun and Moon Data for One Day**
> 
> The following information is provided for Seattle, King County, Washington (longitude W122.3, latitude N47.6):
> 
> Solstice Moment: Friday, March 20, 2015 at 3:45 PM
> Universal Time: Mar 20 22 45
> 
> Friday
> 20 March 2015 Pacific Daylight Time
> 
> SUN
> Begin civil twilight 6:42 a.m.
> Sunrise 7:13 a.m.
> Sun transit 1:17 p.m.
> Sunset 7:22 p.m.
> End civil twilight 7:53 p.m.
> 
> MOON
> Moonset 6:53 p.m. on preceding day
> Moonrise 7:20 a.m.
> Moon transit 1:40 p.m.
> Moonset 8:12 p.m.
> Moonrise 7:54 a.m. on following day
> 
> New Moon on 20 March 2015 at 2:36 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

This event is my part of the NASA’s Solar System Ambassador program, and thanks to [West Seattle Blog](http://westseattleblog.com/) for publicizing all of them!

Everyone is welcome, see you there!

![](https://grav.alicesastroinfo.com/user/pages/blog/spring-equinox-sunset-watch-2015/Mars.png)~ A l i c e !

---

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