Equinox Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====Day arcs of the Sun==== {{main|Sun path}} Some of the statements above can be made clearer by picturing the day arc (i.e., [[sun path|the path]] along which the Sun [[diurnal motion|appears to move]] across the sky). The pictures show this for every hour on equinox day. In addition, some 'ghost' suns are also indicated below the horizon, up to 18° below it; the Sun in such areas still causes [[twilight]]. The depictions presented below can be used for both the northern and the southern hemispheres. The observer is understood to be sitting near the tree on the island depicted in the middle of the ocean; the green arrows give cardinal directions. * In the [[northern hemisphere]], north is to the left, the Sun rises in the east (far arrow), [[culmination|culminates]] in the south (right arrow), while moving to the right and setting in the west (near arrow). * In the [[southern hemisphere]], south is to the left, the Sun rises in the east (near arrow), culminates in the north (right arrow), while moving to the left and setting in the west (far arrow). The following special cases are depicted: <gallery widths="240px" heights="180px"> File:equinox-0.jpg |'''Day arc at 0° latitude (equator)'''<br />The arc passes through the [[zenith]], resulting in any purely vertical object (such as an [[obelisk]] or [[pillar]]) having no shadow at high noon. File:equinox-20.jpg|'''Day arc at 20° latitude'''<br />The Sun culminates at 70° altitude and its path at sunrise and sunset occurs at a steep 70° angle to the horizon. Twilight still lasts about one hour. File:equinox-50.jpg|'''Day arc at 50° latitude'''<br />Twilight lasts almost two hours. File:equinox-70.jpg|'''Day arc at 70° latitude'''<br />The Sun culminates at no more than 20° altitude and its daily path at sunrise and sunset is at a shallow 20° angle to the horizon. Twilight lasts for more than four hours. File:equinox-90.jpg|'''Day arc at 90° latitude (pole)'''<br />If it were not for atmospheric refraction, the Sun would be on the horizon all the time. </gallery> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page