what do you think causes the difference in sunrise and sunset times over the course of a year?

At most latitudes on the Earth, the effect of increased altitude is the same: it makes the Sun rise earlier and set later than it would at that same location from the ground. To make things simple, let's assume that you are in a plane over the ocean, at the equator at sunset.

Full Answer

Why does the sun rise earlier and set later in summer?

Answer (1 of 6): What do you think causes the changes in sunrise and sunset times over the course of the year? What a peculiar way to ask a scientific question. I don’t think the answer is a matter of opinion. All aspects of the Earth’s revolution around …

How can you tell the difference between sunrise and Sunset?

Nov 11, 2013 · the tilt of Earth's rotational axis All along the equator, every day has 12.1 hours of sunlight. At 10° north or south latitude the amount of sunlight ranges from a …

Why is sunrise and sunset later in the southern hemisphere?

The angle of the Earth’s axis means that sunrise is earlier as you go farther north, and sunset’s later. The longest day of the year is called the summer solstice. It’s usually around June 21. It’s pretty extreme too. By the time you’re north of 45, you’ll get sunrises that are as early as 5:30 am, and sunsets around 9:30 pm or so. Once you get north of 60, the daylight’s nearly round the clock.

Why do sunsets come out later in some parts of the world?

Jun 27, 2015 · Since the Earth moves around the Sun at a rate of a quarter of a degree a minute, it means that at this altitude, sunset occurs 8 minutes later than it would from the ground. The variation with altitude is approximately linear, and so we conclude that sunset is later by 1 minute for every 1.5 kilometres in altitude, and that sunrise is earlier by the same amount.

Why do the equinoxes and the directions of sunset occur?

The equinoxes and the directions of sunset show why. The equinoxes occur when the sun sets due west, and the days and nights are (virtually) of equal length everywhere on Earth. At the equator, however, the days and nights are always 12 hours ...

How old is the circle?

The circle’s age is unknown, but it could be as old as 11,000 years, and researchers – including former Monash academic Duane Hamacher – think it's likely that the circle includes deliberate markers of the direction of sunset at the solstices and equinoxes. We’ll never know just why, or even if, the builders of Wurdi Youang, Stonehenge, ...

What is the symmetry of the sunset direction?

Among many other things Ptolemy was interested in was the fact that the symmetry in the arc of sunset directions is reflected in the symmetry between the sun’s midday altitude at the summer and winter solstices. The sunset direction reaches its northerly and southerly extremes at the solstices, while the noon altitudes are also at their extremes ...

Where is the sun at the equinox?

At the equinoxes – when the direction of the sunset is halfway between the most northerly and southerly sunset points – the sun is at the point of intersection of the ecliptic and the celestial equator, as I mentioned. So the angle between these two intersecting planes must be half the difference between the summer and winter solstice solar ...

What direction does sunset go?

The sunset direction reaches its northerly and southerly extremes at the solstices, while the noon altitudes are also at their extremes (highest and lowest) at the solstices. The midpoints in both cases occur at the equinoxes.

Where is the Wurdi Youang stone circle?

The Wurdi Youang stone circle near Little River, Victoria. One of the earliest records of such an observation may lie in the alignment of the Wurdi Youang stone circle in Victoria, on land traditionally owned by the Wathaurong people.

How many days does the sun have to be on the equator?

So, in its yearly journey along the ecliptic, there are only two days when the sun crosses the equator.

How does latitude affect sunrise?

If you live between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, the amount of daylight you get each day doesn’t vary much. If you live near the equator, it’s pretty much thirteen-hour days and eleven-hour nights year round, with sunrise around 7:30 am and sunset around 8:30 pm.

What happens when you go farther north?

If you go farther north, you’ll get more and more days that are round the clock sunlight in summer.

Why do days get longer in summer?

That’s because latitude affects the time of sunset and sunrise. What’s going on? Earth is tilted on its axis, by about 23 degrees or so.

Why are the equinoxes called equinoxes?

The turnaround times between the northern and southern hemisphere are called the equinoxes, because that’s the time of year when the duration of days and nights are the closest to being the same. During these times, the North Pole and South Pole are about the same distance away from the Sun.

What does it mean when the Earth is in orbit?

The orbit means that the Earth’s axis isn’t always going to be pointed the same way relative to the Sun. Sometimes the daylight side of the northern hemisphere is closer to the Sun, and sometimes the daylight side of the southern hemisphere is closer to the Sun. The combination of all these things means that at every time of year, ...

How long does it take for the Earth to complete its orbit?

Earth’s also going around the Sun in its orbit. It takes about one year to make a complete orbit. The orbit means that the Earth’s axis isn’t always going to be pointed the same way relative to the Sun.

When does sunrise happen?

Sunrise won’t happen until September. That’s why the whole southern hemisphere reaches the sunlight later and leaves it earlier as the Earth spins in space. The angle of the Earth’s axis means that sunrise is later in the southern hemisphere in June, and sunset’s earlier. The shortest day of the year is called the winter solstice.

How high can you see the Earth at sunset?

To make things simple, let's assume that you are in a plane over the ocean, at the equator at sunset. In that case, straightforward trigonometry indicates that at a typical commercial airplane altitude of 12000 metres, you can see an extra 2 degrees "around" the Earth.

Where is Kristine a professor?

She got her Ph.D from Cornell in August 2005, was a Jansky post-doctoral fellow at Rutgers University from 2005-2008, and is now a faculty member at the Royal Military College of Canada and at Queen's University.

Why are the skies redder during sunset?

In the mornings, the skies are bluish in color because of the Rayleigh effect. This effect affects short wavelengths of light more than longer wavelengths.

What is the difference between sunrise and sunset?

We all know that the sun rises from the east and dips or sets in the west at any place. We also know that sunrise takes place very early in the morning while sunset takes place during evenings. While the skies are dark before sunrise and become bright after it, ...

Does the atmosphere have more orangish light?

This effect affects short wavelengths of light more than longer wavelengths. On the other hand, atmosphere is warmer during evenings, and there are also water molecules in the form of moisture. These molecules are larger than air molecules and are thus able to scatter longer wavelengths of air making the skies appear more orangish ...

In A Nutshell

Say you have a still photo of the Sun hovering over the horizon. Can you tell if it’s a sunrise or a sunset? A pair of atmospheric physicists who have done considerable research cataloging and documenting the colors that go along with the beginning and the end of the day say you can’t tell the difference.

The Whole Bushel

Telling the difference between sunrise and sunset can, at a glance, be pretty obvious—one happens at the start of the day and one happens at the end of it! That’s not really what we’re talking about here.

Show Me The Proof

LiveScience: Do Sunrises Look Different from Sunsets? Color Correction Handbook: Professional Techniques for Video and Cinema, by Alexis Van Hurkman Color and Light in Nature, by David K. Lynch, William Charles Livingston