[navcom]

Originally Posted by Algernon

A couple of people have already pointed you to websites with sunset times and details, so I'd just like to point out that if you're using a compass, make sure to compensate for magnetic north. The difference can be unexpectedly large, depending on where you live.

I'd also say to watch for high cloud cover with a visible horizon to the west. I almost always run out with my camera under these conditions because the sun will briefly become visible under the cloud cover and shine pinks and reds on the underside of the clouds, transforming the entire sky. I haven't yet seen a bad sunset under those conditions.

Good point about using a compass. Maps point towards true north...that is, where the exact top of the globe is. But the magnetic north pole...that point where a compass will point to is not exactly at the north pole but is in fact ever-so-slowly moving around up there. Here in Minnesota where I live, magnetic north is only a couple degrees off from north on a map, but it can be off quite a bit in other areas. In Seattle for instance, it's off by about 18 degrees and in Anchorage, Alaska, it is off by about 22 degrees.

Also, there are areas that experience magnetic disturbances. Along Lake Superior's north shore in Minnesota, there are areas where your compass will just go funny and not be accurate because of this. It's mostly because of the vast amounts of iron ore and taconite in the ground. If you are not aware of this, you can get screwed up real fast.