The sun rises in the east and sets in the west due to the rotation of the Earth on its west-east axis. This rotational movement creates the illusion that the sun is moving across the sky from east to west.
Our planet rotates on itself from west to east. It is this constant rotation that creates the phenomenon of day-night alternation, giving the sensation that it is the Sun that moves in the sky. In reality, the Sun does nothing special on a daily basis: it is solely the movement of the Earth that gives the impression of the Sun's movement, called apparent motion. When a region of the Earth faces the Sun, it is daytime; when that region rotates and moves to the opposite side, it is nighttime. That is why every morning the Sun gradually appears in the East, climbs in the sky over the hours, and disappears in the evening behind the horizon in the West.
The Earth rotates on itself around an imaginary line called the axis of Earth's rotation, which passes through the North and South poles. This rotation is towards the east, which explains why we see the Sun rise in the east every morning and set in the west every evening. Specifically, this means that when your region "moves forward" towards the light of the Sun by turning towards the east, it rises. Later in the day, as it continues to turn, your region gradually moves out of reach of the Sun's direct rays towards the west, resulting in its setting. Therefore, it is simply due to the Earth's natural and regular rotation around its axis, rather than an actual movement of the Sun, that you see it rise and set every day.
The Earth is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. This small detail has significant consequences on how we perceive the apparent path of the Sun throughout the seasons. In summer, one of the hemispheres is tilted towards the Sun, resulting in longer days and the Sun rising higher in the sky. Conversely, during winter, this hemisphere is tilted in the opposite direction: the Sun remains lower, follows a shorter path in the sky, leading to shorter and cooler days. In spring and autumn, the Earth is positioned between these two extreme positions, providing an intermediate day length and a moderate passage of the Sun across the sky. This difference in the tilt of the Earth throughout the year explains why the height and apparent path of the Sun vary from one season to another.
Latitude, in other words your position north or south of the equator, has a big influence on how you see the Sun rise and set. The further you go towards the poles, the more the location of the Sun's rise and set varies throughout the year. For example, near the equator, the Sun rises and sets almost always in the same place, with very little shift. In contrast, if you go up towards the Arctic, you will sometimes see the Sun rise very far northeast in summer and very far southeast in winter. Because of this, some regions near the poles experience long days in summer, sometimes even the famous midnight sun, and very long nights in winter. In contrast, below the tropics, you will barely notice these variations. That’s why some regions of the world seem to have days that are always roughly equal, while others experience spectacular variations depending on the season.
Our brain instinctively tends to interpret that it is the Sun that moves in the sky, while in reality, it is the Earth that rotates. We don't directly feel this rotation because we are all moving together with the planet, much like in a stable train where you don't even notice that you are moving forward. When we see a very distant object like the Sun, the Earth's rotation creates the illusion that it travels from one side of the sky to the other. Our immediate perception without reference thus shows an inverse illusion of the real phenomenon: we are rotating, but it feels like it is moving leisurely from east to west.
At the North and South Poles, the Sun rises and sets only once a year, resulting in six months of continuous daylight followed by six months of total darkness!
In reality, the Sun rises exactly in the East and sets exactly in the West only during the equinoxes (around March 21 and September 23). For the rest of the year, its actual position shifts slightly towards the northeast or southeast depending on the season.
The exact term to describe the precise moment when the Sun crosses the horizon is 'heliacal rising,' a term that comes from the Ancient Greek word heliakós, meaning 'of or relating to the Sun.'
Due to the Earth's atmosphere, the Sun still appears on the horizon for a few minutes even though it is actually slightly below it. This optical phenomenon is called atmospheric refraction.
Sure! Here’s the translation: "Yes, no matter where you are on the planet, the Sun always rises on the eastern horizon and sets on the western horizon. However, the exact points of rising and setting vary depending on the latitude and the seasons."
The duration during which the Sun appears to "rise" or "set" mainly depends on the latitude at which one is located, as well as the Sun's inclined path in the sky. Toward the poles, where the angle of the Sun relative to the horizon is very shallow, the rise and set are longer, resulting in extended periods of twilight, whereas toward the equator, where this angle is greater, the rise and set are quicker.
No, the Sun only rises exactly in the East at certain times of the year, specifically during the equinoxes (around March 21 and September 23). The rest of the time, the sunrise and sunset shift slightly towards the northeast or southeast, depending on the season and the latitude at which one is located.
The length of the day changes throughout the year due to the tilt of the Earth's axis, which alters the exposure of an area to sunlight during the seasons. When one of the hemispheres is tilted towards the Sun (in summer), the days are longer. Conversely, when this hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun (in winter), the days become shorter.
These terms come from our immediate and intuitive visual perception: we perceive the Sun as rising and setting, whereas in reality, it is the rotation of the Earth on its axis that creates this apparent movement of the Sun in the sky.
The red or orange color observed during sunrise or sunset is due to the scattering of sunlight in the Earth's atmosphere. During these times, the light rays must pass through a thicker layer of the atmosphere, scattering the shorter wavelengths (blue) and primarily allowing the warmer colors (yellow, orange, or red) to pass through.
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