Chase the Sunset

Right now the sun is setting somewhere, rising somewhere else, and it is midnight on the far side of the planet. This game asks you to find those places on a globe with the night hidden. Answer, and the real line appears with the city closest to it, its local time and a walk filmed at that time of day. Because every game uses the minute you start it, no two games are the same.

Want to see the whole planet at once? Open Right now around the world or spin the globe. More puzzles: Find the Country, Drop the Pin and all games.

Questions

How do I play Chase the Sunset?

You get five questions about the Earth at the minute you start: where the sun is setting, where it is rising, where it is midday, where it is midnight, and where the sun will set in one hour. Night is hidden on the globe. Tap your answer once, and the real line and the night side appear.

How is the score counted?

By how far your tap is from the real line: under 500 km scores 3 points (green), under 1,500 km 2 points (yellow), under 3,000 km 1 point (red), and anything further 0. The best possible score is 15. Share your row of squares with the time you played.

Is there a trick to it?

Your own clock is the best clue. If it is evening where you are, the sunset line is not far away. The Earth turns towards the east, so the sunset line moves west, about 15 degrees of longitude every hour. Midday and midnight run from pole to pole on opposite sides of the globe.

Where do the videos come from?

After each answer you see the city closest to the real line and a walk from Walking Atlas that matches the moment: a sunset walk, a sunrise walk or a night walk when the city has one. The times are calculated from each city's coordinates, so they are accurate to a few minutes.

When is there a new game? Do I need an account?

Every game uses the minute you start it, so you can play again at any time and the answers will be different. The first game of each day counts for your streak. It is free, and your results are saved only in your own browser.