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Sacramento may not be the hottest place on Earth — though it may have felt that way when the mercury topped 105 degrees Fahrenheit this summer. But the city can lay claim to another record: For four months out of the year, California’s capital is the sunniest place on Earth.

That’s according to an analysis of historical weather data by the weather website Current Results, which determined that from June to September, Sacramento averages between 11.6 hours and 14 full hours of sunshine each and every day.

The total puts Sactown’s summer ahead of its nearest domestic rival, Yuma, Ariz., which averages 11 hours of sun per day over the year — an annual sum that makes the Sonoran Desert hub the sunniest place on Earth over the course of a year. But for four months of the year, cloud coverage and Sacramento’s distance from the equator conspire to make residents and visitors need sunglasses from dawn to dusk.

The rankings, based on data from 1961-90 collected by the World Meteorological Organization, account for 1,800 or so weather stations across the world, from the Antarctic to the North American Arctic.

Surprisingly, the sunniest summertime locale is not in the far north, where the sun may never set in day. That’s because while Eureka, Canada — an Arctic settlement that is home to one of the world’s northern-most research centers — holds the sunny record in May, weather and cloud coverage make its night-less summer days a little shady.

There are plenty of ways to take advantage of the endless sun in Sacramento, says Visit Sacramento’s Kari Miskit. The American River provides just the right amount of excitement for white-water rafting, and the Sacramento State Aquatic Center, on Lake Natoma, is a primo spot for paddle boarding. “Then, of course, there’s what I wish I was doing today,” Miskit says, “which is sitting by one of the gorgeous and refreshing pools at one of our hotels like the Hyatt Regency Sacramento or the Kimpton Sawyer.”

Naturally, there is a downside to all this sun. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in America, says Dr. Victor Huang, a dermatologist and professor at UC Davis. But with proper care, he says, the condition is avoidable.

“Use a daily sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, every day,” Huang says. “Summer, cloudy, rainy, going outside, staying inside — doesn’t matter. First thing in the morning, put it on. Leave it next to your tooth brush so you don’t forget to do it.”

Just 15 minutes in Sacto’s bright sun will afford a T-shirted light skinned person with all the Vitamin D they need in a day, Huang says, so wear some long sleeves, and don’t forget a hat on your way out to the lake.