Why do we say the sun COMES UP and GOES DOWN?

Question

When everything else GOES up and COMES down.

Answer 1

Because we are referencing our realm. To us, the sun as it rises is entering our perceptions, moving to where we can sense it -- coming nearer. Conversely, as it sets, (who invented "rise" and "set", anyway -- we're the ones going around it!) we feel that it is leaving us, going away -- going down.

Not to mention the fact that as we stand, the sun does appear to move further and then nearer the horizon -- "rising" "up" and a way from it, and then "setting" back "down".

Answer 2

SUNRISE: The sun is rising and anything RISING is going UP.

SUNDOWN; The opposite of sunrise and therefore the sun is going DOWN.

The sun COMES UP (into view) above the eastern Horizon and GOES DOWN (disappears from view) in the western horizon.

Answer 3

Everything else is not "go up" and "come down", everything else is relative. An elevator "comes up" when you're on the top floor, and "goes down" away from you. We say things are "going down" when something is happening, especially a conclusion of something. We use language in the vernacular, not in the proper. My question is, "why do we say 'set' instead of 'fall' or 'descend'?"

Answer 4

when the sun comes up, its rises
when it goes down, the sun sets

Answer 5

The terms come from a time when the ignorance of religion dominated, when geocentrism (an Earth-centred universe, before Copernicus and Gallileo) was commonly accepted.

The phrases are outdated and desultory. Try using "daybreak" and "twilight" instead.

Answer 6

Everything else, while on its way up, is likely to be moving away from us, hence it goes. When the sun rises it is appearing, hence coming towards us. Isn't that obvious?

Answer 7

because it comes up from BELOW the horizon, when you say something goes up, it means going up from where you are at that moment. Goes down means it goes down BELOW the horizon, rather than coming down to where you are at that time, like a balloon coming down.

Answer 8

sunlight is going UP! confident the evening should be exciting to party, yet waking up early and observing the daylight upward thrust with the only which you want is the most dazzling web site you should ever see, and it quite makes you imagine about belongings you're taking with none interest. (:

Answer 9

Suppose you re talking of a ball... when we throw it up, it goes farthe away from us , therefore, GOES up. and when it comes back, it COMES down, that comes closer.
but when the sun is rising, we see it come towards us, therefore, COMES up. when it sets, it goes away from our horizon, from our field of vision, therefore, it GOES down

Answer 10

As the sun rises it appears to come towards us and similarly when setting it is going away.