if the sun rises in the south east, where does it travel, and where does it set?

Question

A friend of mind told me the sun travels from the south east, but I wanted to know does it go towards the east or west, and where does it set?

Answer 1

During half of the year (March through September), the sun rises in the NORTHeast and sets in the northwest.

During the other half of the year (September through March), the sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest.

So, TODAY (Oct. 2), it's true that the sun rises in the southeast. That will change by the end of next March!

> where does it travel...?

If you are living in the Northern hemisphere, the sun starts heading south as it rises, and at its highest point it is (usually) somewhat south of straight up.

The opposite is true if you live in the Southern hemisphere. In that case, the sun starts heading NORTH as it rises, and at its highest point it is (usually) somewhat north of straight up.

I say "usually" because there are some exceptions. If you live in equatorial regions (between 23.5 north and 23.5 south latitude), you will, at certain times of the year, see the noon sun in the north (from north latitudes) or in the south (from south latitudes).

Here's a great interactive Flash animation that shows it to you in 3D and lets you experiment with different settings:

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/animations/sunmotions.html

Answer 2

It will appear to go in a westerly direction (due to the eastward rotation of the Earth) and set in the southwest (at this time of year). Check it out some evening.