Can you ever see the sun in the northern sky in new york?

Question

please only awnser this if you have details to support it thanks,

Answer 1

No. The Earth's axis is tilted 23.5º away from being perpendicular to the ecliptic (the plane of its orbit). The furthest north the Sun ever gets is on the summer solstice, about June 21st. On that day, you would see the Sun pass directly overhead if you happened to live on the Tropic of Cancer (23.5º North latitude). If you live further north than that, the Sun WILL reach its highest point in the southern sky on that day, but it will still be in the southern sky.

The city of New York, NY, is at about 40º North latitude, so it's too far north to ever see the Sun in the northern sky.

EDIT: Prof. ZikZak, while I understand your points, I don't think many people would call a few degrees north of east the "northern sky"... know what I mean? I'm not disagreeing with you, just arguing the semantics.

EDIT 2: Cirric, do you generally see reflections in south-facing buildings and mistake them for objects that are really in the northern sky? I doubt many other people do either. That wasn't what the question asked.

Answer 2

It depends what you mean by "northern sky." If you mean "directly north, or anywhere near directly north" then no, the sun will never appear anywhere near directly north in New York.

If you mean the northern half of the sky, then yes it does. Between March 21 and September 21, sunrise and sunset always occur north of east and west, respectively. The Sun is only in the northern half of your sky around sunrise and sunset in the summer, however, and it is never in the northern half sky when it is high. It is always directly in the south for you at noon.

The other answerers who are saying "the sun *always* appears in the southern sky" and "The Sun cannot appear in the north part of the sky from anywhere north of the tropics" are simply wrong; the sun will appear in the northern half of the sky, that is, north of an east-west line at some times of day and year regardless of where you live. The implication is that you are too far north to ever see the sun directly in the north--- this also is untrue. You are too *temperate* to ever see the sun in the north. Travel farther north, and in the summer you will see the sun directly north at midnight.

Answer 3

I concur with Prof. Zikzak. Between March & September, the sun spends at least part of every day in the northern sky; this is true for ALL northern latitudes, including New York. The responders who answered "no" are wrong.

It is true that the sun at NOON is in the southern sky all year round in New York. But that's not what the question asked.

Answer 4

On June 22 the Sun rises in the direction of 059º.

Professor Zikzak knows what he's talking about.

Answer 5

The Sun cannot appear in the north part of the sky from anywhere north of the tropics. Since New York is north of the tropics, the answer is no.

Answer 6

Nope.

The sun can't go beyond 23.5 degrees north over the Earth; and New York is more north than that - so the sun *always* appears in the southern sky.

Answer 7

It will go up to Northeast and Northwest in the summer.

Manhattan is pointed wrong so it loooks almost north when rising in June.

Answer 8

Hi. Yes. The reflection off any south facing glass wall.