Position
of Sunrise & Sunset |
The
position of sunrise and sunset change through the year, moving north from
the winter solstice to the summer solstice and south from the summer to
the winter solstices. In Canton, the total solar motion is 68° as
shown below for the sunrise. The solstice is the "pause" of
the sun as it reaches its northernmost or southernmost point, stops, and
stars moving in the opposite direction. |
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The
sun moves fastest at the equinixes when the position of sunrise or sunset
changes as much as the width of the full moon (1/2°) each day. During
the 20 days surrounding the solstices, the position shifts by less than
1/10°, hence the sun seems to pause. |
The graph
to the right shows the aziumuth of rising for the sun through the year
in Canton. Click for a larger image. |
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The
length of the day changes with the position of the sun as shown on the
following graphs for Canton, NY (click for larger versions). |
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At the solstices, the number
of hours of daylight are maximum or minimum and change very little.
At the equinoxes there are 12 hours of daylight and the length of the
day is changing most rapidly, gaining or losing more than 3 minutes
of daylight each day.
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