How To Measure Remaining Daylight With Your Hand

There are some things that we never think we’ll need to know until we find ourselves in desperate need of that knowledge. If you have ever gone out for a walk and wondered how long it would take until it was dark outside, or if you have ever gone camping and had to figure out when you should start lighting a fire, this technique could come in very handy. To measure the remaining daylight using only your hand, you will need to follow some simple steps.

First, face the sun and extend your arm in front of you. Your palm should face toward you and your fingers should be parallel to the horizon. Next, position your index finger right below the sun. Once your hand is positioned correctly, all you need to do is count how many fingers it takes to reach from the sun to the horizon. Each finger represents a quarter of an hour until sunset. So if your index finger is positioned under the sun and your pinky is right above the horizon, you would have one hour until the sun begins to set. If there is more space under your four fingers, line up your other hand directly below and continue counting.

Getty Images / Moment / Levente Bodo

Don’t forget: face the sun and place your fingers parallel to the horizon. Each finger represents fifteen minutes and each hand represents an hour. Knowing this trick, you will never find yourself wondering when the sun will set.