Sunrise and sunset

[Silkworm]

He's in Malaysia? Then it's a bit of a moot point isn't it?

The sun never shines on Malaysia.

there's a joke here, but I don't quite get it. ?

 

[Fodder]

I'm confused. If you lived on the equator, wouldn't the day be slightly shorter when the passage of the sun was over one of the tropics rather than directly overhead? I must be missing something.

 

[KimB]

I'm confused. If you lived on the equator, wouldn't the day be slightly shorter when the passage of the sun was over one of the tropics rather than directly overhead? I must be missing something.

Ah, but if you think of the Earth tilting (it doesn't, but can be thought of such), then the pivot point is on the equator. So even if the sun isn't directly overhead, you're still entering night/day at the same location.

 

[Randell]

maybe Rev thought he would see what arguements would occurr when the obvious and simple answer is just 'no'.

 

[MuFu]

NO.

 

[KimB]

Yes?

 

[Bigus Dickus]

Ah, but if you think of the Earth tilting (it doesn't, but can be thought of such), then the pivot point is on the equator. So even if the sun isn't directly overhead, you're still entering night/day at the same location.

You know, I think I've always assumed that at the Equator the longest days were in fall and spring (northern/southern hemisphere conventions) and that days in NHemisphere summer/winter were a bit shorter.

Now that you guys have raised and answered the question, I feel rather stupid. So the sun is overhead fall/spring, and not quite overhead summer/winter, but the days/nights are all the same length.

If I'm ever on 'Millionaire' maybe that will be asked.

 

[OpenGL guy]

maybe Rev thought he would see what arguements would occurr when the obvious and simple answer is just 'no'.

The correct answer is "it depends" as there's a dependency on the latitude you are at. Places exactly on the equator have days of constant length throughout the year. Also, if you were at the north pole, for some time of the year there would be no sunrise or sunset at all. So you could say that each day was equally long (or each night equally long in the winter!) during the summer... namely 24 hours. In the winter, you'd have days where the sun didn't rise at all, so then you could say each night was 24 hours.

 

[Fodder]

Ah, but if you think of the Earth tilting (it doesn't, but can be thought of such), then the pivot point is on the equator. So even if the sun isn't directly overhead, you're still entering night/day at the same location.

I'm not sure I understand, but I am having a slow day. Reading up on it now, will return in an hour or five.

 

[arjan de lumens]

The correct answer is "it depends" as there's a dependency on the latitude you are at. Places exactly on the equator have days of constant length throughout the year. Also, if you were at the north pole, for some time of the year there would be no sunrise or sunset at all. So you could say that each day was equally long (or each night equally long in the winter!) during the summer... namely 24 hours. In the winter, you'd have days where the sun didn't rise at all, so then you could say each night was 24 hours.

Ahhh, midnight sun & polar nights. You get them anywhere north of the Polar Circle. I actually spent most of my childhood north of the Polar Circle, so I am pretty much used to that kind of seasonal variation (while people who move in there from the south usually find the lack of day/night cycle during mid-summer/mid-winter extremely stressful).

If you're at the North (or South) Pole itself, the sun actually rises only once per year, and then it stays up for half a year, then it sets, at which point you are stuck in darkness for the next half year.

 

[_xxx_]

If you're at the North (or South) Pole itself, the sun actually rises only once per year, and then it stays up for half a year, then it sets, at which point you are stuck in darkness for the next half year.

Well, at least you don't have those creatures from "Pitch Black" there...

 

[Druga Runda]

What a good thread!

 

[Neeyik]

Play with this, if you want to check sunrise and sunset times:

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html