Why does the sun rise faster at the equator and why does the equator get about the same amount of sunlight year round?
At the equator, the circumference of the Earth is 40,070 kilometers, and the day is 24 hours long so the speed is 1,670 kilometers/hour.This is because the middle of Earth does not tilt much as Earth rotates on its axis. Without tilt, the angle of the Sun is always the same, so the equator receives the same amount of warmth and light year round. The farther you get from the equator, the bigger the difference there is in seasons and sunlight. Your latitude ultimately determines the duration of the sunset, and it's because of this that the sun sets the fastest near the equator, and the slowest near the poles. Since the sun sits much higher in the sky near the equator at solar noon than at the poles, the equator gets the most direct sunlight year round. There are always twelve hours of daytime and twelve hours of night-time at the equator, except for two minor effects that increase daytime by about eight minutes. Earth's axis always points in the same direction. Because of this, the part of Earth that receives the most direct rays from the Sun changes as the Earth travels around the Sun. At the equinox, the Sun's rays shine most directly on the equator, and the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of Sunlight. Earth's axis always points in the same direction. Because of this, the part of Earth that receives the most direct rays from the Sun changes as the Earth travels around the Sun. At the equinox, the Sun's rays shine most directly on the equator, and the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of Sunlight.
Earth's axis always points in the same direction. Because of this, the part of Earth that receives the most direct rays from the Sun changes as the Earth travels around the Sun. At the equinox, the Sun's rays shine most directly on the equator, and the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of Sunlight. Countries, towns and cities located around the equator experience hot weather throughout the year. It is because the sun remains almost directly overhead every day. Countries that are further north or south of the equator experience a change in seasons, when hot weather follows cold weather. There are only two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. These events are referred to as Equinoxes. Places near the Equator experience little seasonal variation. They have about the same amount of daylight and darkness throughout the year. These places remain warm year-round. Near the Equator, regions typically have alternating rainy and dry seasons. As the sun rays fall directly on the equator first, the equator receives equal day and night throughout the year because it does not tilt in relation to the sun's location. The sun appears to move along with the celestial sphere on any given day, but follows different circles at different times of the year: most northerly at the June solstice and most southerly at the December solstice. At the equinoxes, the sun's path follows the celestial equator. Since the sun sits much higher in the sky near the equator at solar noon than at the poles, the equator gets the most direct sunlight year round. With a much lower sun angle at the poles, the path it takes for the sun to set is much more parallel to the horizon, so it stays closer to the horizon longer as it sets. On a standard meridian at the equator one might expect the Sun to rise at 6:00 A.M.and set at 6:00 P.M., but the Sun rises at 6:03 A.M. in July, a summer month, and also rises late, at 6:11 A.M. in February, a winter month. The sun rises and sets faster in the tropics, than it does at higher latitudes. That's because, in the tropics, the sun rises straight upward and sets straight downward. The curve of the Earth means that sunlight is spread over a wider area the further you move from the Equator. Sunlight hits a smaller surface area at the Equator so heats up quickly compared to the poles. There is fewer atmospheres to pass through at the Equator compared to the poles.
The direct rays of the Sun fall on the equator on 21st March and 23rd September. On these dates, the entire Earth experiences equal days and equal nights because neither of the poles is tilted towards the Sun. Earth's axis always points in the same direction. Because of this, the part of Earth that receives the most direct rays from the Sun changes as the Earth travels around the Sun. At the equinox, the Sun's rays shine most directly on the equator, and the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of Sunlight. Since the sun sits much higher in the sky near the equator at solar noon than at the poles, the equator gets the most direct sunlight year round. With a much lower sun angle at the poles, the path it takes for the sun to set is much more parallel to the horizon, so it stays closer to the horizon longer as it sets. Because the Earth is a sphere, the surface gets much more intense sunlight (heat) at the equator than at the poles. During the equinox the Sun passes directly overhead at noon on the equator. The amount of sun a region receives depends on the tilt of Earth's axis and not its distance from the sun. The Northern Hemisphere experiences summer during the months of June, July, and August because it is tilted toward the sun and receives the most direct sunlight.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Mathematical Sciences
- Statistics
- Statistical Software
- SPSS