What does the sky look like when the sun sets at two different time zone boundaries?

Question

Let's use the CST and EST time zones as an example. Let's say the sun goes down at 5:00 PM in the EST time zone and 4:00 PM in the CST time zone. Since the CST time zone is an hour behind from the EST timezone, will the sky appear dark on the "invisible line" that divide the two time zones and states? In other words, will the portion of the sky in Illinois be dark and will the Indiana portion of the sky be sunny?

Serious answers please.

Fabian V: one that no one seems to know the answer for.

Answer 1

Interesting! So, I researched it. The explanation I came up with seems to be quite plausible:

"Earth is divided into 24 time zones (for the sticklers out there, I know there are really 28, but the extra 4 are unusual). As you move westward, each time zone you enter is one hour earlier than the time zone you are leaving (until you get to the International Date Line, but that's another story). As an example, if you were driving west through the state of Kansas in the Central Standard Time zone of the United States and you were about to enter the state of Colorado in the Mountain Standard Time zone you would have to set your watch back one hour. So, if your watch said 3:30 p.m., you would need to change it to 2:30 p.m. Because of these time zones the rotation of the Earth allows some sky phenomena to occur at essentially the same time (+/- 30 minutes) no matter where you are on the planet. This basically includes the times of when certain constellations will rise above your horizon.
Here is another example. Time zones span quite a large distance and there is a reason why I noted above that the times are essentially accurate to within +/- 30 minutes. Let's say you are on the eastern border of the Central Standard Time zone. Sunrise occurs at 5:00 a.m. For people further west, however, the sun has not risen yet. Why? Because Earth is round and sunlight does not curve around Earth's limb. The Earth continues to rotate and in the middle of the Central Standard Time zone the sun will rise at 5:30 a.m. More rotation and then the western edge of the Central Standard Time zone sees the sun rise at 6:00 a.m. You can see here that, if this were to continue, sunrise would occur at noon over the Pacific Ocean and at 6:00 p.m. for people in Asia, but this does not really happen because of the time zones. If you were standing on the western edge of the Central Standard Time zone and walked or drove westward into the Mountain Standard Time zone, you would have to set your watch back one hour. So now a person standing on the eastern edge of the Mountain Standard Time zone sees the sunrise at 5:00 a.m. The cycle essentially repeats through every time zone"

So, HUH? You learn something new every day! ;-)

Polly

Answer 2

From Pluto, the Sun and Earth are less than 1.8 degrees apart. Still, after sunset there would still be about 35 minutes before Earth set, at the best time in Pluto´s orbit. The outer planets would be further from the sun. For example, right now Jupiter (as seen from Pluto) is about 9 degrees from the sun, and Neptune is 60 degrees from the sun.

Answer 3

There has to be an invisible sun...just ask sting! LOL

Answer 4

I think you're on yahoo q/a for the wrong reasons. buddy

Answer 5

Come on what kind of qusetion is that?

Answer 6

Dammit Butters!!!

Answer 7

black n blue