Fun Fact Physics

Did you know you  see a sunrise earlier and sunset later than it actually occurs!

By: Aadyaa Keyal - Researcher

Don't we all love capturing the beautiful sunrises and sunsets from our window, our balcony, the beach!

The stunning scenery and breathtaking views really puts life into perspective and makes all those moments of life worth it. When you capture that insta worthy pic,your actually experiencing an early sunrise and delayed sunset! You can thank physics mainly ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION for this. Read on to know why this occurs!

What is atmospheric refraction?

• The sun's rays bend as they pass through the atmosphere due to variations in air density. This causes the sun to appear to rise about two minutes earlier and set about two minutes later than it actually does.

How does refraction occur?

• Refraction occurs when a light wave passes from one medium to another. The refractive index is calculated by dividing the speed of light in a vacuum by the speed of light in a denser medium.

The role of sun's position 

• When the sun is near the horizon at sunrise or sunset, the bending of light makes it appear as if the sun has already risen or set. This is why you see the sunrise 2 minutes earlier than it actually occurs and 2 minutes later than it actually occurs. This is also called early sunrise and delayed sunset.

So, the next time you watch a pretty sunrise or sunset don't forget that your most likely watching it 2 minutes early or 2 minutes later !