Why does it look like the sun is on the wrong side of the planet?

Question

I live in New York. My bed room faces north. I NEVER, in 13 years of living here, have ever seen the sun out side my window. from what i remember of highschool science. if you live up north the sun is always in the south as it rises in the east and sets in the west. correct? if i also recall correctly, it reaches its zenith on july 21st in the northern hemisphere. its directly over one of the tropics at this point right? tropic of cancer? that is still somehwere in mexico i believe. so the sun, no matter, what should always be south of new york. right? why is it in the north coming through my bed room window right now?


ps. this is 100% serious question. i realyl have never seen the sun in this possition....and its freaking me out. THANKS.

Answer 1

Between the beginning of Spring and the Beginning of Fall, in the northern hemisphere, the sun actually rises north of east and sets north of west

Answer 2

Actually this is a great question. The Sun only rises due east and due west on the first day of spring (around March 21) and the first day of fall (around September 21). In the fall and winter months, the Sun rises south of east and sets south of west, and reaches its highest point due south around noontime. In NYC, that will be somewhere between about 50 degrees (on the first days of spring and fall) and about 26 degrees above the horizon (on the first day of winter).

During the spring and summer months, the Sun rises *north* of east and sets *north* of west. It still reaches its highest point due south at about noontime. For NYC, that will be somewhere between about 50 degrees and 74 degrees (on the first day of summer).

So if your window faces due north, you should see the Sun at sunrise and at sunset during the spring and summer months. On the first day of Summer it will be easiest to see, as it will be the farthest north at sunrise and at sunset.

Answer 3

Your bedroom faces north.
The sun's highest point it ever gets from the northern hemisphere is actually south of the zenith, so you would never see it looking from your north-facing window.

Answer 4

I agree with the author GENE. I has given the best answer.