is sunset when the sun is completely gone or is it when its starting to go away?

Answer 1

when its starting to go away..

"The event or time of the daily disappearance of the sun below the western horizon. "

Answer 2

Sunset isn't a real event, its a human concept.
For some people, sunset begins when the sun touches the horizson and ends when the sun is no longer visible at all.
There is no one scientific definition (as far as I know) that everyone would agree on.

Wikipedia says:
"Sunset, also called sundown in some American English dialects, is the time at which the sun disappears below the horizon in the west. It should not be confused with dusk, which is the point at which darkness falls, some time after the beginning of twilight when the sun itself sets."
But I don't think that's what people mean when they use the term sunset.

Answer 3

In marine navigation and in celestial mechanics, the horizon is defined as the line that is 90 degrees from the zenith. If you are on the ocean at water level, then the real horizon will be almost the same as the theoretical horizon.

Elsewhere, your horizon will depend on the geography around you and on your height above the local geography (e.g., if you are on the 24th floor of a building, the visible horizon will be quite a few degrees below the theoretical horizon).

For marine navigation and celestial mechanics, sunset is when the centre of the sun is on the theoretical horizon (the same as saying that the sun's centre si 90 degrees from your zenith).

The refraction caused by the air will raise the image of the sun. Even if your horizon matches the theoretical one and the sun is calculated to be 90 degrees form your zenith, air refraction will make the sun appear to be a whole degree above its real position (the sun's disk measures only half a degree, so refraction lifts the image well clear of the horizon).

In marine navigation, at the theoretical time of sunset, the lower limb of the sun is almost twice its diameter above the horizon.

In astronomy, sunset is when the upper limb of the sun is below the theoretical horizon, counting the refraction! So, if your horizon matches the theoretical horizon, then sunset is the exact moment that the sun disappears completely.

However, astronomical sunset tables will not be corrected for your height (we do not know if you live on the 24th floor).

Answer 4

Technically, Sunset is when the sun drops below the horizon. That's when the sunset time is reported.

However, a sunset itself is the whole experience: From watching the sun drift toward the horizon to that eternal, everlasting second when the last sliver of golden light clings desperately to the edge of the earth...finally, reluctantly releasing the planet to dusk and the night.

Answer 5

Sunset is when you see the sun disappearing beyond the land when you look out to the horizon.

it is when it is starting to go away becoz if it was already completely gone the correct way to say it would be "the sun has already set" or "after sunset"

Answer 6

FIrstly, some of these answers are uninformed. THERE IS A (at least one) TECHNICAL definition of sunset.
Otherwise how could the weatherman give you the time it happens down to the second? Of course the techno-geeks will have defined the concept, even if that definition is not what the general population means when they talk about sunset.
THE US Naval Observatory writes:
"Sunrise and sunset conventionally refer to the times when the upper edge of the disk of the Sun is on the horizon, considered unobstructed relative to the location of interest. Atmospheric conditions are assumed to be average, and the location is in a level region on the Earth's surface. "
Note that this is not symmetric. Symmetric definitions would be the upper edge at sunrise and the lower edge at sunset (or vice versa). Or even the midpoint of the sun's disc at a hypothetical horizon (no hills, trees, etc and at sea level, say)
Hence sunset is when sun is just gone.

Answer 7

Sunset is when the sun is "setting" from our point of view at our location(time zones). Not when the sun is alerady gone from our view points.

Answer 8

sunset is when the sun is starting to go away .sunrise is when the sun is starting to rise .

Answer 9

Scientifically there are 3 types of sunset: visible (6minutes), civil (12 minutes), astronomical (18 minutes).

Answer 10

a sunset is whatever you want it to be