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Year’s fastest sunsets happen around equinoxes

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Year’s fastest sunsets happen around equinoxes


View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jim Grant caught this sundown with a inexperienced flash on the Ocean Seashore Pier in San Diego, California, on July 19, 2023. Jim wrote: “I knew the sundown was going to be gorgeous and I began monitoring the boat hoping to get it centered within the sun. The inexperienced rim and inexperienced flash above have been a bonus.” Thanks, Jim! Learn extra concerning the quickest sunsets under.

Yr’s quickest sunsets and sunrises

The September equinox will arrive Saturday (September 23, 2023) at 6:50 UTC. And right here’s a little-known equinox phenomenon: the sun units quicker across the time of an equinox. The quickest sunsets (and sunrises) happen at or close to the equinoxes. However, the slowest sunsets (and sunrises) happen at or close to the solstices. It’s true whether or not you reside within the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

And, by the way in which, after we say sundown right here, we’re speaking concerning the precise variety of minutes it takes for the physique of the sun to sink under the western horizon.

Why does the sun set so shortly across the equinoxes? It’s as a result of, at each equinox, the sun rises due east and units due west. So, which means – on the day of an equinox – the setting sun hits the horizon at its steepest doable angle.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ragini Chaturvedi, a frequent contributor to our pages, caught this dawn from Palouse, Washington, on June 22, 2021, the day after the solstice. She wrote: “Inspired by EarthSky neighborhood, I share one other phenomenal view of Palouse, Washington. On the elevation of three,612 toes [1,100 m], the Steptoe Butte State Park presents such a brilliant early dawn view. Breathtaking.” Thanks, Ragini!

Yr’s slowest sunsets and sunrises

In the meantime, at a solstice, the sun is setting farthest north or farthest south of due west. And, the farther the sun units from due west alongside the horizon, the shallower the angle of the setting sun. So which means an extended period for sundown on the solstices.

Additionally, the sundown period varies by latitude. Farther north or south on the Earth’s globe, the period of sundown lasts longer. Nearer to the equator, the period is shorter. However let’s simply take into account one latitude, 40 degrees north, the latitude of Denver or Philadelphia in america; elements of Spain; and Beijing, China.

At that latitude, on the day of equinox, the sun units in about 2 3/4 minutes.

However, the solstice sun units in roughly 3 1/4 minutes at 40 levels latitude.

The actual fact is, The equinox is an occasion that takes place in Earth’s orbit across the sun. Picture through weather.gov.

Backside line: The quickest sunsets of the yr are occurring now, across the time of the September equinox.

All you need to know about the September equinox

Are day and night equal on the equinox?

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