There is another astronomical effect you should know about that can change the time that the Sun is highest in the sky. This is a little hard to explain, but it also has to do with us watching the Sun from a tilted perspective. The Earth spins on its axis about 366 and 1/4 times each year, but there are only 365 and 1/4 days per year. This is because we define a day not based on the Earth's period of rotation, but based on the average time from noon one day to noon the next. Gradually over the course of a year the Sun appears to go 'backwards' (West to East) around the Earth compared to the far away stars (this is because we are really going around the Sun). Subtracting this 1 time backwards from the 366 and 1/4 times forward, we get the typical 365 and 1/4 days per year.
2007-01-15 15:39:10
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answer #1
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answered by dongvc 2
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The atmosphere is like a magnifying lens. The closer to the horizon the sun is, the more atmosphere its image is coming through, so it seems larger. If is also why the sun looks red when it gets close to the horizon (see "red shift") and why the sun looks like it loses its roundness as it hits the horizon and looks like the bottom gets fatter. The bottom is more magnified than the top of the sun's disk.
2007-01-15 15:41:14
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answer #2
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answered by Mark S 5
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The curve of the earth at the horizon distorts the image of the sun. It also has to do with particular atmospheric conditions, that cause reflection etc.
2007-01-15 15:38:54
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answer #3
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answered by Maxiebedeeps 3
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The sunlight seems bigger at break of day and sundown simply by fact of refraction outcomes by using a thick layer of air, and because you may learn the plain length of the sunlight to problems with often happening length on your field of view. The sunlight purely seems smaller at midday or interior the afternoon simply by fact there's no longer something on the factor of sunlight on your field of view of often happening length to learn the sunlight's obvious length to. some human beings declare it is an optical phantasm. i do no longer think of they actually understand what an optical phantasm incredibly is, simply by fact the sunlight's seen diameter in seconds of arc incredibly would not substitute that lots, in spite of refraction outcomes of the ambience.
2016-12-12 12:23:15
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answer #4
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answered by ? 4
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It is an optical illusion. The horizon spreads out the appearance of the diameter of the moon.
2007-01-15 15:39:58
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answer #5
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answered by eric l 6
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good question. its because of the angle at which we view the sun from in the morning is less than which we view from noontime, therefore the sun appears as though its larger.
2007-01-15 15:38:50
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answer #6
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answered by ronny 2
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maybe because its closer
at noon its higher up the sky
2007-01-15 15:42:40
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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Because of the shape of the earth.
2007-01-15 15:38:18
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answer #8
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answered by morningstar 3
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its because of the lensing effect of the atmosphere
2007-01-15 16:26:09
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answer #9
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answered by rollerskater 3
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Its how our atmosphere bends the light.
2007-01-15 15:38:16
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answer #10
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answered by Jack P 3
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