If our planet did not revolve around the Sun and was absolutely flat, the celestial body would always be at the zenith and would not move anywhere - there would be no sunset, no dawn, no life. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to watch the sun rise and set - and therefore life on planet Earth continues.
The Earth tirelessly moves around the Sun and its axis, and once a day (with the exception of polar latitudes) the solar disk appears and disappears beyond the horizon, indicating the beginning and end of daylight hours. Therefore, in astronomy, sunrise and sunset are the times when the top point of the solar disk appears or disappears above the horizon.
In turn, the period before sunrise or sunset is called twilight: the solar disk is located close to the horizon, and therefore some of the rays, entering the upper layers of the atmosphere, are reflected from it onto the earth's surface. The duration of twilight before sunrise or sunset directly depends on latitude: at the poles they last from 2 to 3 weeks, in the polar zones - several hours, in temperate latitudes- about two hours. But at the equator, the time before sunrise is from 20 to 25 minutes.
During sunrise and sunset, a certain optical effect is created when the sun's rays illuminate the earth's surface and sky, coloring them in multi-colored tones. Before sunrise, at dawn, the colors have more delicate shades, while sunset illuminates the planet with rays of rich red, burgundy, yellow, orange and very rarely green.
The sunset has such an intensity of colors due to the fact that during the day the earth's surface warms up, humidity decreases, the speed of air flows increases, and dust rises into the air. The difference in color between sunrise and sunset largely depends on the area where a person is located and watches these amazing phenomena nature.
External characteristics of a wondrous natural phenomenon
Since the sunrise and sunset can be spoken of as two identical phenomena that differ from each other in the saturation of colors, the description of the sun setting over the horizon can also be applied to the time before sunrise and its appearance, only in the reverse order.
The lower the solar disk descends to the western horizon, the less bright it becomes and first turns yellow, then orange and finally red. The sky also changes its color: at first it is golden, then orange, and at the edge - red.
When the solar disk comes close to the horizon, it acquires a dark red color, and on both sides of it you can see a bright streak of dawn, the colors of which from top to bottom go from bluish-green to bright orange tones. At the same time, a colorless glow forms above the dawn.
Simultaneously with this phenomenon, with opposite side a stripe of an ash-bluish hue (the shadow of the Earth) appears in the sky, above which you can see a segment of orange-pink color, the Belt of Venus - it appears above the horizon at an altitude of 10 to 20° and in a clear sky is visible anywhere on our planet.
The further the Sun goes beyond the horizon, the more purple the sky becomes, and when it drops four to five degrees below the horizon, the shade acquires the most saturated tones. After this, the sky gradually becomes fiery red (Buddha’s rays), and from the place where the sun’s disk set, stripes of light rays stretch upward, gradually fading, after the disappearance of which a fading strip of dark red color can be seen near the horizon.
After the shadow of the Earth gradually fills the sky, the Belt of Venus dissipates, the silhouette of the Moon appears in the sky, then the stars - and night falls (twilight ends when the solar disk goes six degrees below the horizon). The more time passes after the Sun leaves the horizon, the colder it becomes, and by the morning, before sunrise, the lowest temperature is observed.
But everything changes when, a few hours later, the red Sun begins to rise: the solar disk appears in the east, the night goes away, and the earth’s surface begins to warm up.
For example, they were convinced that if the sky remained red for a long time after sunrise, the day would be unbearably hot. Another sign said that if before sunrise the sky in the east is red, and after sunrise this color immediately disappears, it will rain. The rising of the red Sun also promised bad weather if, after its appearance in the sky, it immediately acquired a light yellow color.
The rising of the red Sun in such an interpretation could hardly satisfy the inquisitive human mind for long. Therefore, after the discovery of various physical laws, including Rayleigh’s law, it was found that the red color of the Sun is explained by the fact that it, as having the longest wave, scatters much less in the dense atmosphere of the Earth than other colors.
Therefore, when the Sun is at the horizon, its rays slide along the earth's surface, where the air has not only the highest density, but also extremely high humidity at this time, which delays and absorbs the rays. As a result, only rays of red and orange colors are able to break through the dense and humid atmosphere in the first minutes of sunrise.
Sunrise and sunset
Although many people believe that in the northern hemisphere the earliest sunset occurs on December 21, and the latest on June 21, in reality this opinion is erroneous: the days of the winter and summer solstices are only dates that indicate the presence of the shortest or longest day of the year.
I wonder what north latitude, the closer to the solstice the latest sunset of the year occurs. For example, in 2014, at a latitude of sixty-two degrees, it occurred on June 23. But at the thirty-fifth latitude, the latest sunset of the year occurred six days later (the earliest sunrise was recorded two weeks earlier, a few days before June 21).
Without a special calendar at hand, it is quite difficult to determine the exact time of sunrise and sunset. This is explained by the fact that while rotating uniformly around its axis and the Sun, the Earth moves unevenly in an elliptical orbit. It is worth noting that if our planet were moving around the Sun, such an effect would not be observed.
Humanity noticed such time deviations a long time ago, and therefore throughout their history people have tried to clarify this issue for themselves: the ancient structures they erected, extremely reminiscent of observatories, have survived to this day (for example, Stonehenge in England or the Mayan pyramids in America).
Over the past few centuries, astronomers have created lunar and solar calendars by observing the sky to calculate the time of sunrise and sunset.
Nowadays, thanks to the virtual network, any Internet user can calculate sunrise and sunset using special online services - to do this, just indicate the city or geographic coordinates (if the required area is not on the map), as well as the required date.
Interestingly, with the help of such calendars you can often find out not only the time of sunset or dawn, but also the period between the beginning of twilight and before sunrise, the length of day/night, the time when the Sun will be at its zenith, and much more.
Since childhood, we have become accustomed to the fact that in the morning the Sun rises in the east and in the evening sets in the west. But is this really so?
Sunrise at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
You probably know that rooms with windows facing south are usually very sunny. Why? The fact is that when the Sun rises highest above the horizon (culminates, if we speak scientific language), it appears precisely above the southern part of the horizon. This means that on any day, if the Sun appears above the horizon, it will definitely pass over the south point, and at that moment it will culminate.
You, of course, have noticed that the length of daylight hours varies greatly throughout the year: in winter the days are shorter and in summer they are longer. Does the Sun really move slower across the sky in summer than in winter? Of course not! It’s just that the point of sunrise and sunset changes every day.
A dog of the Labrador breed, sitting on the shore of the Labrador Peninsula, looks at the sunset in the Labrador sea
In fact, the Sun rises exactly in the east only twice a year, on the days of the spring (20th or 21st March) and autumn (22nd or 23rd September) equinoxes. On these same days it sets exactly in the west, and the length of the day is equal to half a day - twelve hours. After the spring equinox, the day begins to lengthen, the Sun climbs higher and higher in the sky, and the sunrise and sunset points shift to the north (be sure to look at the picture, otherwise you won’t understand anything). This continues until the summer solstice - June 21 (22). On this day, in temperate latitudes, the points of sunrise and sunset are most shifted to the north, and the length of the day is greatest.
Beyond the Arctic Circle (Murmansk, Norilsk, Vorkuta, Norwegian Tromso), the sunrise and sunset points gradually move closer together, and at some point they merge into one at the north point. After this, the Sun stops setting below the horizon: polar day begins.
After the summer solstice, the sunrise and sunset points begin to move back, east and west, and the length of the day gradually decreases. After the autumnal equinox (on this day the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west for the second time a year), the sunrise and sunset points again begin to approach each other, but in the southern part of the horizon, and the length of the day decreases (see picture!). This happens until the winter solstice. On this day the sun rises and sets most south, the day is the shortest of the year, and the night is the longest.
At those latitudes where there was a polar day, a polar night will begin: the Sun will not appear above the horizon. This will happen when the place of sunrise and sunset merge at the south point. After the winter solstice, the day begins to lengthen, the points of sunrise and sunset gradually move back to the points of east and west, and everything repeats again.
Polar day in Severomorsk, pay attention to the clock in the lower right corner
What is happening in the southern hemisphere? In the southern hemisphere, everything is the other way around: when our day length is greatest, it is shortest there, when we have the vernal equinox, in the southern hemisphere – autumn equinox. In the southern hemisphere, the Sun culminates above the north point, but rises and sets, like ours, in the eastern and western parts of the sky, respectively.
So if they tell you that the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can safely answer that this is not true.
I'm serious at school I was interested in geography. While my classmates were reading novels about love, I read encyclopedias. I wanted as much as possible learn about spaceatmosphere and universe. I paid special attention to studying the role Suns on our planet. Therefore, I know exactly where it fits. :)
Where the sun rises
The sun is a star, and the star closest to our planet. But at the same time there is WITHThe sun is almost 150 million km away from us. It’s even difficult to imagine such a distance or compare it with something...
Some people believe that The sun is moving throughout the day across the sky, and someone is sure that it is static, and it is the earth that moves. But be that as it may, During the day the Sun rises and sets. Every day in our life there is morning and evening.
Always and at any time of the year. If it’s winter outside and the Sun appears late in your country, then rest assured that sunrise still occurred in the east, even if the sun only reached you at 7 am.
Land of the Rising Sun
There are several versions of who the first to see the sunrise:
- "Japan - the land of the rising sun", - this is how the Japanese like to talk about themselves. The rising sun on their flag means the prosperity of the country, the rise of consciousness to a new level. They They consider their nation to be the chosen one. Besides, Japan is the most extreme country in the East. That’s why the Sun rises right here, they believe.
- . Some people believe that the Sun is seen here first, but the confusion occurs due to the fact that the day change line runs through Alaska.
- Chukotka. Many believe that the Sun rises in Russia. Since the border between America and Russia passes through the Bering Strait, separating the day. If in America, in Alaska, the day is over, then just in Chukotka the Sun begins to rise. It turns out that it is not the Japanese who see the Sun first, but the Russians.
But no matter what country the sunrise falls on, the main thing is that The sun never tired of appearing every day. Otherwise, if the Sun goes out, life on Earth will end.
The sun represents celestial object, which can be seen from anywhere on the planet. The development and preservation of living nature on earth depends on it, since it is what gives heat. Every morning it lights up the sky and many are interested in the question, where does the sun rise?
Where does the sun come from?
The appearance of the sun begins in the east, and gradually moves across the sky, it sets on the opposite side in the west. In ancient times, people believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, and that all heavenly bodies revolve around it. However, this point of view has long ceased to be scientific and has been successfully refuted.
The Sun is a star and motionless, while the Earth, moving in its orbit, revolves around it. But, nevertheless, this state of affairs creates the effect that we observe every morning - the sunrise begins in the east and ends in the west.
Why do people track the movement of the sun?
With the emergence of the need to measure time, people began to look for objects that would help them with this. A long time ago, it was believed that it was possible to find out how much time had passed only by the movement of the sun or moon (at night). Why are people so attracted to this celestial object and why is it so important for some to track its movement?
- The sunrise heralds the beginning of daylight, and its sunset the end.
- The biological clocks and rhythms of many living organisms on the planet are oriented towards it.
- For some, this is important to know when drawing up astrological charts and horoscopes.
- These indicators are also used by astronomers for various purposes.
- Changing the position of the sun in the sky allowed ancient people to create the first timekeeping system. The first stone sundial was even invented for this purpose.
- Counting days and months is also based on the position of the sun, including the modern Gregorian calendar. Where a day is measured from one sunrise to the next, and a year is equal to a full circle around a star.
From this we can conclude that the relevance of tracking the position of the earth relative to the sun does not lose its relevance today. In addition, scientists monitor its indicators, measure activity, and predict magnetic storms etc.
What benefits does the sun have for humans?
The benefits of the sun in the life of mankind cannot be underestimated. However, scientists continue to study its effect on the body. A group of scientists from Edinburgh found that if a person spends some time in the sun, the following processes are observed in his body:
- Blood pressure decreases.
- The risk of developing thrombosis is reduced.
- The body rejuvenates.
- Metabolism improves.
- The risk of stroke is reduced.
- Blood circulation improves.
In addition, the sun is an excellent prevention of heart attack, cancer or other pathologies. In addition, the sun produces vitamin D, which is so beneficial for everyone, it strengthens bone tissue and removes heavy metals from the body.
You can highlight the benefits of the sun:
- Promotes the production of serotonin, a hormone responsible for blood clotting. Besides sufficient quantity This substance helps improve mood, which is why it is also called the “happiness hormone.”
- Under the sun, biologically inert NO3 nitrite is released, which helps reduce blood pressure and eliminate the likelihood of developing heart failure or a heart attack.
- The sun's rays have an antibacterial effect, therefore, basking in the sun, wounds and scratches will heal faster, acne and pimples will disappear.
But this is of course not the entire list. useful properties possessed by the sun's rays. In addition, we should not forget about the general benefits of the sun for all life on the planet.
You shouldn’t think that the sun’s rays are so useful that you need to be exposed to them uncontrollably. In addition to a lot of benefits, they can cause just as much harm if you are careless with them.
- With prolonged exposure, a tan appears - this is a protective mechanism of the body that tries to cope with the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. If you do not take action and protect the skin at the first redness, you can easily get a serious burn. In some people, it even leads to the formation of skin cancer.
- You cannot look at the sun without sunglasses, as its strong brightness can blind or damage your vision.
- For those who suffer from dry skin, it is contraindicated to stay in the sun for a long time without moisturizer, as the rays can dry it out even more.
- If you do not protect your head with a panama hat or cap, you can get sunstroke or thermal. Its manifestations are: increased temperature, increased heart rate, nausea. Sometimes people lose consciousness and even die if immediate help is not provided and the person is not taken to a cool, dark room, applying ice compresses.
Therefore, it is imperative that when you are in direct sunlight, you should take precautions and protect your head with a light-colored hat, drink more fluids, and wear glasses. Also try to avoid being outside when the sun is at its zenith.
The sun is a celestial body that gives warmth and light to all living things on the planet, rising in the east. But in addition to benefits, it can also cause harm, and this should not be forgotten.
The sunrise and sunset are truly a majestic picture. In all its beauty, it unfolds in open space - outside the city, in the field and especially at sea. That part of the horizon where the sun rises and sets is painted in crimson colors, as if an invisible artist touches the sky with a magic brush.
How does the sun rise?
Early in the morning, the horizon in the east begins to slowly turn red - this is the morning dawn. The night gives way to day, gradually brightens, and the dawn fills the lower edge of the sky with more and more fiery light.
Then, from behind the part of the horizon where the sun rises, the upper edge of its disk slowly appears. As it rises, it increases in size until it completely appears before the awakening earth in its royal radiance. At this moment, one gets the impression that it floats above its surface like a huge one. But this doesn't last long. The sun, moving from left to right, begins to rise above the horizon. Its color changes from red to orange and then to yellow. The size of the luminary decreases, reaching its highest point above the horizon, it looks like a small light yellow ball.
How does the sun go down?
Having reached highest point its location, the sun begins its journey downwards without changing its direction of movement. The lower it falls, the closer to evening the more clearly the picture of its morning ascent is repeated in the sky. The part of the horizon where the sun sets turns red-fiery, and the disk itself becomes larger. And now the evening dawn is blazing like a frantic fire at the edge of the sky, illuminating it until the luminary disappears beyond the horizon. This spectacle is mesmerizing and very beautiful. It inspires artists to paint and romantics to seek adventure.
If you ask where the sun sets, everyone will answer - in the west, because, having risen in the east, it makes a circle across the sky, sets again and continues to move along the other side of the earth. In reality, it is motionless, and it is our Earth that revolves around it in orbit.
Why does the sky change color at sunrise and sunset?
As you know, the Earth is surrounded by an air shell - an atmosphere that extends upward for about 1000 km. In the lower layers it has greater density. The higher you are from the Earth's surface, the smaller this indicator becomes, and the thinner the atmosphere.
Scientists have determined: the thicker the layer of the air shell, the fewer rays it transmits through itself, and this relates mainly to blue and green radiation, which cannot be said about red, orange and yellow rays.
Because the place where the sun sets and rises is located in the lower part of its disk and looks red-purple during this period. Rising then into more rarefied layers, the Sun changes color, becoming lighter and yellower.
What happens at the poles?
The North and South Poles are considered unique places on our Earth. Daily illumination here is divided into (178 days) and polar night (187 days). Regarding the poles, it is more appropriate to ask not “where the sun sets”, but “how this phenomenon occurs.”
It turns out that they only have sunrise and sunset once a year. On South Pole the sun rises in September on a day and sets in March on a day. All these phenomena happen the other way around. This is the part of the world where the sun rises and sets in March and September.
How does the sun work?
Our planet Earth is insignificant in size in relation to the Sun. Every day we bask in its rays and watch sunrises and sunsets, but what do we know about this majestic star?
Having figured out how the sun rises and where it sets, let's look at what it consists of.
This is a clot of hot gas in the form of a huge ball, inside of which plasma consisting of various gases is constantly moving. These are mainly hydrogen and helium.
Conventionally, scientists divide the structure of the Sun into 4 parts:
- the core (central part), where the nuclear reaction occurs, namely: hydrogen, burning, turns into helium;
- radiant zone, in which gases move moderately, transferring energy from layer to layer outward;
- convective zone consisting of fast moving gases;
- region of the atmosphere that extends far beyond the visible part of the star, and during the period solar eclipse visible like a pearl halo - a crown.
Everything in our life is passing away, but the daily sunrise remains unchanged, moving along its heavenly route for many billions of years.
In this article we have revealed many facts about where the sun rises and sets. We hope you found this information useful and interesting.