why does the sun's size during sunset or sunrise differ when viewed from different locations?

Answer 1

Because at midday sun rays cross only a section of atmosphere but by sun set time, the atmosphere layers are thicker and so gases tend to function as a lens changing sun's apparent size.

Answer 2

It has to do with the reference you've chosen. At sunset your reference is the ground and object around it. At Noon, your only reference is sky and clouds. The optical illusion created dictates how "large" you see it.

A simple experiment would be to choose some object you can hold at arms length and place that by the view of the sun at both locations.

You will find that it is the same size at both points.

Edit: Some have suggested that the atmosphere is acting as a magnifying glass. Since at a given point the atmosphere is less of a lense or more like a plate of glass, this is unlikely. Imagine the many experiments using light (lasers) and lenses. If you send a laser through a plate glass the light may change direction, but it will not fucus. It only focuses if it has a curvature that not parallel.

Read the references below. They explain the exact same problem using the moon as the stellar body.

Answer 3

It has to do with different atmospheric densities (and water vapor content) which cause the refractive index of the atmosphere to change. The atmosphere (at sunset and sunrise) acts kind of like a 'giant lens' to magnify the Suns size and, if the refractive index of the material in a lens changes, so does it's 'magnification factor'.


Doug

Answer 4

It differs due to the location in relationship to the equator. Remember the equator is the most round and going away from it the earths roundness is reduced. Also the seasons have an effect. Depending on the the season the earth is tilted toward or away from the sun.

Answer 5

It has something to do with how the atmosphere augments then light. It's like how objects can sometimes appear bigger in water. When the sun is that low on the horizon, the light goes through more atmosphere and at a different angle to reach you. This causes the light to distort.

Answer 6

this is dose because angal of viewed to sun is differ as location is different. earth atmosphere act as a big magnifier glass.

Answer 7

the atmosphere may be thinner or thicker, thus magnifying or demagnifying the sun.