99% of the World's Population to Experience Sunlight at the Same Time on July 8

Nearly 99 percent of the world's population will experience either daylight or twilight simultaneously on Wednesday, July 8, at approximately 11:10 GMT, according to astronomical experts.

The rare alignment occurs because of the Earth's tilt and the Northern Hemisphere's summer season. For about one minute, around 8.2 billion people across the globe will be under sunlight or twilight, leaving only about one percent of humanity in complete darkness.

During this period, daylight will cover North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and most parts of Asia, where the majority of the world's population resides. Meanwhile, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Southeast Asia, Antarctica, and surrounding ocean regions will remain in darkness.

Experts say this is not a one-day-only event. Similar conditions occur daily for about 60 days each year, from mid-May to mid-July, as the Earth's position allows nearly the entire global population to experience daylight or twilight at the same time.

Of the estimated 8.2 billion people affected, about 6.9 billion (83 percent) will be in full daylight. Another 581 million (7 percent) will experience civil twilight, 498 million (6 percent) will be in nautical twilight, and 249 million (3 percent) will be in astronomical twilight. Only about 83 million people, representing roughly one percent of the global population, will remain in complete nighttime.

Astronomers explain that the phenomenon is most noticeable around July 8 because, after the June solstice, the Sun gradually shifts southward. This movement extends daylight into densely populated regions of Asia while slightly reducing it in the sparsely populated far northern areas, resulting in the highest number of people experiencing sunlight or twilight at the same time.

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share