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Credit & Copyright: Luca Vanzella
Explanation:
Does the Sun set in the same direction every day?
No, the direction of sunset depends on the time of the year.
Although the Sun always sets approximately toward the west, on an
equinox
like today the Sun sets directly
toward the west.
After tomorrow's September equinox, the Sun will set
increasingly toward the southwest,
reaching its maximum displacement at the December
solstice.
Before today's September equinox,
the Sun
had set toward the northwest,
reaching its maximum displacement at the June
solstice.
The featured time-lapse image shows seven
bands of the Sun
setting one day each month from 2019 December through 2020 June.
These image sequences were taken from
Alberta,
Canada --
well north of the Earth's equator -- and feature the city of
Edmonton in the foreground.
The middle band shows the Sun
setting during the last equinox -- in March.
From this location, the Sun will set along this same
equinox band
again tomorrow.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: equinox
Publications with words: equinox
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 22 Á Equinox at Saturn
- APOD: 2024 September 22 Á Chicagohenge: Equinox in an Aligned City
- Sunrise Shadows in the Sky
- APOD: 2024 March 19 Á A Picturesque Equinox Sunset
- APOD: 2023 March 19 Á Equinox at the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent
- Equinox Sunrise Around the World
- September Sunrise Shadows