APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
Post Reply
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5344
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am
Contact:

APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by APOD Robot » Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:06 am

Image A Year of Sunrises

Explanation: Does the Sun always rise in the same direction? No. As the months change, the direction toward the rising Sun changes, too. The featured image shows the direction of sunrise every month during 2021 as seen from the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The camera in the image is always facing due east, with north toward the left and south toward the right. As shown in an accompanying video, the top image was taken in 2020 December, while the bottom image was captured in 2021 December, making 13 images in total. Although the Sun always rises in the east in general, it rises furthest to the south of east on the December solstice, and furthest north of east on the June solstice. In many countries, the December Solstice is considered an official change in season: for example the first day of winter in the North. Solar heating and stored energy in the Earth's surface and atmosphere are near their lowest during winter, making the winter season the coldest of the year.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13372
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by Ann » Wed Jan 05, 2022 6:06 am

I wondered why the Sun seemed to rise farthest to the left (north) in the seventh panel from the top, not in the sixth panel.

The reason for this is that there are 13 panels in the APOD, as if there were 13 months in 2021.

Ann
Color Commentator

K. ELIS

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by K. ELIS » Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:43 am

Does the Sun always rise in the same direction? It seems to me that at the equator, the answer is yes.

So, the good answer at your question is : It depends were you are on Earth.

Dan

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by Dan » Wed Jan 05, 2022 11:14 am

Far left, note the building being constructed...

Sa Ji Tario

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by Sa Ji Tario » Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:46 pm

K. ELIS wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:43 am Does the Sun always rise in the same direction? It seems to me that at the equator, the answer is yes.

So, the good answer at your question is : It depends were you are on Earth.
Variations are also observed at the equator, although small to the north and south

De58te
Commander
Posts: 583
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:35 pm

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by De58te » Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:01 pm

Ann wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 6:06 am I wondered why the Sun seemed to rise farthest to the left (north) in the seventh panel from the top, not in the sixth panel.

The reason for this is that there are 13 panels in the APOD, as if there were 13 months in 2021.

Ann
I think the reason is that the top photograph was taken in December, 2020, so therefore that picture belongs in the year 2020. That means the second from the top panel is actually January 2021. Thereby making the 7th panel down the month of June.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by orin stepanek » Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:08 pm

SunriseYear_Vanzella_960.jpg
I Imagin the further North or South {so. Hemisphere} you live
the wider apart the No. So. sunrise band would stretch! 8-)
cats-worshiping-sun-2-59310b640b69f__605.jpg
Ahh! This is the life! :lol2:
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by neufer » Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:37 pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Gallery_of_Alberta wrote:

<<The Art Gallery of Albertais a public art gallery located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The building was designed by Los Angeles architect Randall Stout. Construction of this building began in 2007 and was finished in 2010. Its collection of well over 6,000 works of art includes historical and contemporary paintings, sculptures, installation works and photographs by Canadian and international artists.

The patinated zinc and stainless steel design was intended to demonstrate the museum's "commitment to contemporary art". The exterior of the building features a 190 metres steel ribbon, intended to represent the North Saskatchewan River, and the aurora, geographical phenomenons and features of Edmonton. The building's interior also features an "aurora" inspired room.>>
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18111
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA
Contact:

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:53 pm

K. ELIS wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:43 am Does the Sun always rise in the same direction? It seems to me that at the equator, the answer is yes.

So, the good answer at your question is : It depends were you are on Earth.
At the equator, the position of the ecliptic in the sky swings from north to south, just like anywhere. The Earth's axial tilt is 23°; that's what you see at the equator: on the December solstice, the Sun rises 23° south of east, on the June solstice it rises 23° north of east.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

heehaw

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by heehaw » Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:56 pm

Maybe if our town road grids were at 45 degrees instead of N-S, E-W, we wouldn't get sun in our eyes driving to and from work in the morning and evening?

User avatar
RJN
Baffled Boffin
Posts: 1667
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2004 1:58 pm
Location: Michigan Tech

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by RJN » Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:58 pm

An emailer points out
The sun most certainly does not rise at its southernmost point (N hemisphere) on the solstice. That happens around January 5, +/-. (today!)
This is correct insofar as the Sun's southernmost point occurs during the day of the December solstice -- which does not necessarily coincide with sunrise. I have therefore adapted the text in the main NASA APOD to use the word "near" instead of "on". We thank the emailer for their comment and apologize to our readers for the oversight. - RJN

User avatar
alter-ego
Serendipitous Sleuthhound
Posts: 1119
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:51 am
Location: Redmond, WA

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by alter-ego » Thu Jan 06, 2022 6:04 am

RJN wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:58 pm An emailer points out
The sun most certainly does not rise at its southernmost point (N hemisphere) on the solstice. That happens around January 5, +/-. (today!)
This is correct insofar as the Sun's southernmost point occurs during the day of the December solstice -- which does not necessarily coincide with sunrise. I have therefore adapted the text in the main NASA APOD to use the word "near" instead of "on". We thank the emailer for their comment and apologize to our readers for the oversight. - RJN
Yes. Sounds like the emailer is associating latest sunrise of the year with the sun being furthest south. In fact, the sunrise approaches the Winter Solstice date the further north observer's latitude. In this case, a Jan 5 sunrise date puts the observer around 39° or 40° latitude. On the equator, the latest sunrise occurs on Feb 12!
A pessimist is nothing more than an experienced optimist

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: A Year of Sunrises (2022 Jan 05)

Post by neufer » Fri Jan 07, 2022 3:32 pm

alter-ego wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 6:04 am
RJN wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:58 pm
An emailer points out
The sun most certainly does not rise at its southernmost point (N hemisphere) on the solstice. That happens around January 5, +/-. (today!)
This is correct insofar as the Sun's southernmost point occurs during the day of the December solstice -- which does not necessarily coincide with sunrise. I have therefore adapted the text in the main NASA APOD to use the word "near" instead of "on". We thank the emailer for their comment and apologize to our readers for the oversight. - RJN
Yes. Sounds like the emailer is associating latest sunrise of the year with the sun being furthest south. In fact, the sunrise approaches the Winter Solstice date the further north observer's latitude. In this case, a Jan 5 sunrise date puts the observer around 39° or 40° latitude. On the equator, the latest sunrise occurs on Feb 12!
As for Edmonton, itself:
  • The only year from 2017 to 2027
    when Winter solstice took place 12 hours after
    sunrise on the day of Winter solstice was in 2019
    when the Azimuth angle of sunrise on the next day
    was about 1.5" [i.e., 128.9819º vs. 128.9815º] further south:

Code: Select all

year 	Winter solstice time 	Sunrise time    Azimuth angle
--------------------------------------------------------------
2017 	Dec. 21 	09:29        08:40	   128.9842
2018 	Dec. 21 	15:22        08:40	   128.9833
.............................................................
2019 	Dec. 21 	21:19        08:40	   128.9815
.............................................................
2020 	Dec. 21 	03:03        08:40	   128.983
2021 	Dec. 21 	08:59        08:40	   128.9832
2022 	Dec. 21 	14:48        08:40	   128.9824
2023 	Dec. 21 	20:28        08:40	   128.9808
2024 	Dec. 21 	02:20        08:40	   128.9818
2025 	Dec. 21 	08:03        08:40	   128.9821
2026 	Dec. 21 	03:50        08:40	   128.9815
2027 	Dec. 21 	19:43        08:40	   128.98
https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224686065
Art Neuendorffer

Post Reply