Thursday, 16 May 2013

What To Know About Sunsets

By Antoinette Quinn


Sunsets, also known as sundowns, describe the daily occurrence that is the Sun disappearing below the western horizon. This natural behavior is the result of a rotating Earth. Many people enjoy watching the star go down because of the beautiful atmosphere that is created, including the intense red and orange colors.

Sunset, in astronomy, is defined as the moment in time when the trailing part of the Sun disappears below the horizon line. The light that comes from this setting process is distorted by the horizon as a result of atmospheric refraction. This is what makes it seem as though the sundown is taking place when the disk is far below its horizon.

Sunset is not to be confused with dusk, a time when the sky is totally dark. This happens only after the star is approximately 18 degrees below the horizon. Twilight is the name for the period that exists between a sunset and dusk. Areas that fall north of Arctic Circle and those located just south of Antarctic Circle do not see sunrise or sunset at one point in the year. Usually this is polar day or polar night extending for 24 hours.

Nicolaus Copernicus, an astronomer during the sixteenth century, was the first person to present the world with a mathematical model to support the truth that the Earth moves and the Sun does not. During his time, many believed that this large star moved. His model is still widely accepted in modern times.

The time at which the Sun goes down varies during the year. It is also relevant to the position of a person on Earth-- latitude, longitude, elevation. Any and all changes in the sunset are likely to be caused by the axial tilt of Earth, and its rotation, revolution and orbit.

In winter and spring times, the days are considered longer. This is because sundown takes place later each day until the last sunset, usually after summer solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, July or June is usually when the latest of such sundowns will occur. It is rare for this to happen on the summer solstice, but things may vary with latitude. Likewise, the earliest sunsets do not fall on the winter solstice but usually a few weeks before. Therefore, November or December is usually when this happens.

This same phenomenon takes place in the Southern Hemisphere, but the dates are reversed. The early sunsets occur before the summer solstice in winter and the latest of sunsets take place after the winter solstice in summer. Still, it all depends on the exact latitude.

Sunsets are loved because of the beautiful changes they bring out the atmosphere. They are known for bringing out intense and brilliant colors in the clouds, Sun and sky. The duration and time of sundown is dependent on latitude, elevation and longitude of an individual. Changes in sundown take place as a result of revolutions, rotation, tilt and movement of Earth.




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