How to predict a beautiful sunset or sunrise. Interesting facts about sunset and sunrise Sunset or sunset

What could be more beautiful and emotional than a magnificent moment when the sun disappearing over the horizon illuminates everything around with a bright light? I invite you to admire a selection of very beautiful landscapes with sunsets

We continue our series of collections with beautiful sunset photos. Previously, we admired photographs of mountain sunsets, but now we will tell you more about this phenomenon in general


This beautiful phenomenon is explained by atmospheric diffraction - the refraction of light. This is the process where rays of light from the sun change direction as they pass through the Earth's atmosphere and collide with different layers of air. At this time of day, the brightness and intensity of the rainbow also increases, appearing much brighter than usual


Light rays are scattered through the layers of the atmosphere into many waves of different lengths and sizes. At this time, violet and blue colors are scattered much more strongly than yellow and red. This is why red and orange hues predominate during sunset.

During the day, the Earth's atmosphere heats up, winds raise clouds of dust - all this affects the passage of solar rays through the atmosphere. The amazing thing is that each sunset is unique, like a human fingerprint. Sunset cannot be repeated the same way, just as the same atmospheric conditions at the time of sunset cannot occur every time


Surely many of you have wondered what sunsets look like on other planets and whether they exist there at all. Something similar can be seen on Mars, but the lack of a real atmosphere inevitably means a lack of light. Thus, on no other planet will it be possible to observe the same beautiful sunsets as on Earth. We should be grateful to nature for this splendor and enjoy this beauty every evening

The natural phenomenon that we call sunset is a period of time when the celestial body moves towards the horizon, gradually disappearing behind it. Sunrise represents the opposite process - the appearance of the solar disk from behind the horizon. Both of these phenomena are very similar to each other, the only thing that distinguishes them is that sunsets are mostly saturated with brighter colors and unexpected play of colors, and therefore are more interesting for artists and photographers.

Let's consider the features of the sunset process. The lower it goes to the horizon, the more it loses its brightness and acquires a reddish color. A change in the color of a star entails changes in the entire celestial color. The sky near the Sun becomes red, yellow and orange, and on the part of the sky that is antisolar, a pale stripe of light color becomes noticeable.

When the solar disk reaches the horizon, it turns dark red, and we can observe bright stripes of dawn that spread in all directions from it. Zarya has a complex range of colors, from orange below to greenish-blue above. At dawn you can see a round glow that has no color.

At the same time, the dark shadow of the Earth rises above the opposite part of the horizon line; it is separated from the light part of the sky by a strip of pink-orange color, which is called the Belt of Venus.

This phenomenon can be observed anywhere on our planet; a clear sky is a prerequisite. The color of the Belt is due to the fact that the rays of the setting sun, which have an orange-red color, are scattered.

The sun, which sinks lower and lower below the horizon, turns the sky an intense purple color. This phenomenon did not go unnoticed by scientists and was called Purple Light.

This natural phenomenon is most noticeable when the sun is 5 degrees below the horizon. The purple light makes the sky look grand and infinitely beautiful. Everything is painted scarlet, purple, violet and from this it acquires mystery and mystical outlines.

The magnificence of the purple color gives way to the Buddha Rays. This natural phenomenon is characterized by fiery red tones, with rays diverging upward from the place of sunset, which are distinct light stripes.

Saying goodbye to the Earth with the Rays of Buddha, the Sun goes to a well-deserved rest. The only thing that reminds us of it is a dark red stripe lying on the horizon line, which gradually fades away. Day follows night.

This example is just one of many possible ways in which a sunset could develop. This phenomenon amazes with its diversity and inconstancy, with ever newer and newer forms.

On our website you can use a calculator and calculate the time of sunrise and sunset anywhere in the world.

Like sunset and sunrise occur every day at different times and only due to rotation around the Sun. In another case, the celestial body would be at a constant zenith, which would deprive the Earth of not only sunrises and sunsets, but life on the planet itself would be impossible.

Sunset and Sunrise

Sunset and sunrise are the periods of time when the upper edge of the Sun is at the same level as the horizon. The trajectory of the celestial body differs depending on what point on the planet and at what time of year it is observed. At the equator, the Sun rises perpendicular to the horizon and sets also perpendicular, regardless of the season.

Where does the sun rise?

Most people know that the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However, this is nothing more than a generalization. In fact, this happens only 2 days a year - during spring and on other days the Sun rises from north to south. Every day, the points at which sunset and sunrise occur move slightly. During the day it rises at its maximum to the northeast. Every day after that the luminary rises a little further south. On the day of the autumn equinox, the Sun rises due in the east and sets in the west.

Since ancient times, people have tracked the height and parameters of sunrise and sunset points in great detail. Thus, in ancient times it was possible to navigate in time using jagged mountain peaks along the horizon or using standing stones lined up in a special way.

End and beginning of daylight hours

Sunset and Sunrise are points of beginning and end. It is important to note that both of these phenomena are just short moments. Twilight is the time range during which day becomes night or vice versa. Morning twilight is the time between dawn and sunrise, and evening twilight is the time between sunset and sunset. The duration of twilight actually depends on the location on the planet, as well as the specific date.

For example, in Arctic and Antarctic latitudes it is never completely dark on a winter night. Sunrise is the moment when the upper edge of the Sun becomes visible above the eastern horizon in the morning. Sunset is the moment when the trailing edge of the Sun ceases to be visible and disappears below the western horizon in the evening.

Length of daylight

And along with it, the time of sunset and sunrise is not a constant value. In the northern hemisphere, the days are longer in the summer and the days become shorter in the winter. The length of daylight hours also decreases or increases depending on the latitude; the higher it is, the shorter the days. As a rule, this is winter time. An interesting fact is that due to the decrease in speed, the rotations become slightly longer over time. About 100 years ago, the average day was 1.7 milliseconds shorter than it is now.

Sunrise - sunset. What is the external difference?

Sunrises and sunsets look different. Is it possible to visually establish these differences by looking at how the sun rises above the horizon, without knowing whether the day is ending or just beginning? So, is there an objective way to differentiate these two similar phenomena? All twilight time intervals are symmetrical. This means that there is not much optical difference between them.

However, two human factors deny their identity. Closer to sunset, eyes, adapted to daylight, begin to get tired. Gradually the light disappears, the sky darkens, and man cannot adapt as quickly as all this happens. Some shades cannot be fully perceived. At dawn the situation is completely different.

The darkness of the night adapts the vision to very sharp and clear vision, and every subtle change in color in the sky is immediately noticeable. Thus, more colors are perceived at dawn than at dusk. It is this time that, due to limited visibility, is the most dangerous for drivers, which is why there is a need for artificial lighting. When it gets dark, be sure to turn on your headlights.

Sometimes, for example, when going on a hike, it is extremely important for us to know the time of sunrise and sunset. I want to find myself in civilized places before dark. But how can we calculate when to leave and when to return? Easily! Look at the tear-off calendar. There, for each day, it is indicated exactly to the minute when the sun rises and when it sets. Add to this another half an hour to an hour (depending on the distance from the equator and clear/cloudy weather) for the morning dawn and evening twilight, and you will get the length of the daylight hours.

However, this advice - to be guided by a tear-off calendar - has one problem. This way we will know the time of sunrise and sunset, for example, in Moscow, but not in our area. And here we must move from lyrics to the dry language of numbers. Ready? Then read our article and calculate the daylight hours for your area.

What geographical parameters are involved in the calculation?

In relation to our star, planet Earth rotates at a speed of fifteen degrees per hour. The Sun occupies its highest position in the sky at noon. And at this point it is necessary to take into account the adjustment for possible summer time, when the chronometers of many countries arbitrarily (that is, without coordination with the Cosmos) are moved forward an hour. Then the sun is at its zenith at one o'clock in the afternoon. But that's not all.

There is also the concept of “true noon”. The earth is divided into time zones. Each of them is a fairly vast territory. Therefore, in settlements located east or west of the hour meridian (where noon occurs exactly at 12:00), it is observed earlier or later. It is therefore necessary to establish the longitude at which the settlement of interest to us is located. To determine sunrise/sunset, we also need to know the latitude of the area relative to the equator.

Magical dates of the equinox and solstice

Twice a year the Earth turns towards our star at an angle of 90 degrees. This year it will happen on March 19 and September 22. On these days, anywhere on the planet, sunrise and sunset will occur at six o'clock (morning and evening, respectively). That's when it's convenient to calculate local time! In the north, twilight and dawn play for a long time in the sky. In tropical latitudes, the sun dives below the horizon quickly. But this is not the main thing. After all, daylight hours may become optically shorter due to simple cloudiness.

There are two more dates to remember: the winter and summer solstice. For the northern hemisphere, December 21 is the day with the longest night. And on June 21, the sun is in no hurry to leave the sky. On this date, night does not fall in the Arctic Circle, and December 21 does not give way to day. But when does dawn occur on the summer and winter solstice in the area of ​​interest to us?

Sunrise and sunset in Moscow

Let's consider an algorithm for calculating the duration of daylight hours and, therefore, the times of dawn and sunset using the example of the capital. On the nineteenth of March in Moscow, as well as everywhere on the globe, there will be twelve hours of light. But since the metropolis is located just east of the UTC +3 hour meridian, the sun will rise there not at 6:00, but at 6:38. And he will also come in at 18:38. Daylight continues to increase, reaching its peak at seventeen hours and twenty-five minutes on June 20th. We can easily determine sunrise and sunset for Moscow on this date. Noon there begins at 12:38. Then it turns out that the sun rises at 3:48 and sets at 21:13. Do you already know the deviation from the hour meridian in your locality? When is true noon there?

Sunrise and sunset at the selected location

The dates of the equinox and solstice can be the starting data for calculations. On March 20, both on the Arctic Circle and on the equator, the sun will rise at 6:00, and sunset will be at 18:00. Here we take into account the deviation from the hour meridian. After the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, daylight begins to increase, reaching its apogee on June 21. In the Arctic Circle, sunrise and sunset occur at 0:00. Consequently, daylight hours last twenty-four hours. But at the equator everything remains the same: dawn at 6:00, sunset at 18:00. The higher the latitude, the longer the daylight hours increase, the earlier the sun rises and the later it sets.

Knowing the geographic coordinates of a point, it is easy to calculate the time of dawn and sunset. We derive the formula. Let's find out how many days are between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Ninety-two days. We also know how many hours of daylight there are on the summer solstice. Let's say eighteen hours. 18 - 12 = 6. Divide six hours by 92. The result is how many minutes each day of daylight increases by. Let's divide it by two. This is how much earlier the sun rises compared to yesterday.