Outer Space question?

Question

How does the sunrise 1 minute earlier and sunset 1 minute later in the 1st half, and how does the sunrise 1 minute later and sunset 1 minute earlier in the 2nd?

Answer 1

I believe you are referring to the changes in the seasons. Because the rotational axis of the earth is tilted a bit more than 23 degrees away from it's orbital plane the earth gets a bit more in the way of the sun (so to speak) as winter approaches so sunrise is a bit later each day, and sunset a bit earlier. After the winter solstice less and less of the earth is in the way, so sunrise starts a bit earlier each day, and sunset a bit later, until the summer solstice. Interestingly dusk is longer in the winter because the sun rises and sets at more of an angle to the horizon. For the same reason, in the tropics dusk is shorter because the sun rises and sets more nearly vertical. In the more northern part of the northern hemisphere and the more southern part of the southern hemisphere dusk may last all night long in the summer (culminating in the "midnight sun" north of the arctic or south of the antarctic circles). In addition, due to the refraction of the atmosphere we see the sun earlier than actual sunrise and later than actual sunset (the atmosphere acts as sort of a lens).

Answer 2

1st half of what? What are you trying to ask?