2006-07-10 11:18:47 · 8 answers · asked by Nick C 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's related to the elliptical orbit of the earth and the resulting slight variations in the length of a 24 hr. day. These are averaged to create "mean time".
You can read all about it (as I did) at the following site:
2006-07-10 11:27:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Someone has been looking very closely at the sunrise/sunset tables!
The sun is not a point. It is a disk in our sky with a (albeit small) diameter. Hence, it is visible before the center comes rises the horizon and it is still visible after the center has set.
That is also why the longest + shortest days of the year don't add to 24 hours but to somewhat more.
With our low-angle sun and long-drawn-out sunrises and sunsets, it is a more dramatic effect in the subarctic. Our longest day is 19.5 hours and shortest day is 5.5. If the sun were a point, it would be 19 and 5.
-David in Alaska
2006-07-10 18:32:28 · answer #2 · answered by David in Kenai 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow what a keen observation! I believe this is partly the reason that our year is 365.25 days per year. In our solar system, there are always tiny variations and imperfections - well the whole darn universe for that matter.
The other part of that, is that this time is dependent upon where you live. My sunset time is in Michigan is going to be different than sunset time in New York, even though we are in the same time zone.
2006-07-10 18:21:39 · answer #3 · answered by Fun and Games 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how far, north or south, from the equator your are.
On the solstices the length of the day and the altitude of the Sun at noon are the maximum or the minimum of all the other days of the year.
On the Summer Solstice, the Sun stays above the horizon for 12 hours at the equator, stays above the horizon at the North Pole and stays below the horizon at the South Pole. This is reversed on the Winter Solstice.
2006-07-10 18:28:30 · answer #4 · answered by HungryHunter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because if the summer solstice got the earliest sunrise and latest sunset it'd just piss off all the other days.sort of.. it actually just has to do with the way the earth is tilted on its axis... or something.. probably...
2006-07-10 18:21:58 · answer #5 · answered by Johnny Blaze 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of the idiotic time changes - daylight savings time.
2006-07-10 18:21:13 · answer #6 · answered by tenaciousd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good quesiton- I'm impressed. Others have answered better than I could- thanks for the 2 points
2006-07-17 15:53:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the analemma
2006-07-10 18:30:52 · answer #8 · answered by Epidavros 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋