Posted on 03/20/2022 4:50:03 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: What's that at the end of the road? The Sun. Many towns have roads that run east - west, and on two days each year, the Sun rises and sets right down the middle. Today is one of those days: an equinox. Not only is today a day of equal night ("aequus"-"nox") and day time, but also a day when the sun rises precisely to the east and sets due west. Featured here is a picturesque road in northwest Illinois, USA that runs approximately east -west. The image was taken during the March Equinox of 2015, and shows the Sun down the road at sunset. In many cultures, this March equinox is taken to be the first day of a season, typically spring in Earth's northern hemisphere, and autumn in the south. Does your favorite street run east - west? Tonight, at sunset, you can find out with a quick glance.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
Cat at “favorite street”.
If that picture is from Illinois, that street does NOT run due west.
👍🏼
It IS from Illinois, and the source is unimpeachable.
from there the sun sets in the WSW.
It sounds to me like I have impeached it.
The sun NEVER sets in the due west,
unless you live in the tropics.
Should be obvious to a “telescope” guy.
I have never actually measured it. All I know is that particular stretch of road does have straight East-West stretches, and it also has bends and curves in it as well. Maybe I’m wrong. You might want to correct the photographer. APOD has put this picture up twice that I know of. I know for a fact that Mr. Christen’s
reputation is unimpeachable. Here is his website:
https://www.astro-physics.com/
He knows a hell of a lot more about astronomy than I do.
I repeat:
The sun NEVER sets in the due west,
unless you live in the tropics.
“I repeat:
The sun NEVER sets in the due west,
unless you live in the tropics.”
You are wrong.
This is very easy to prove or disprove.
No need to search the internet or even think about it.
Go outside tonight at sunset with a compass.
If you don’t have a compass, there is probably
one built-in on your cell phone.
If you live north of the Tropic of Cancer,
(the entire USA except for Hawaii),
the sun is always, always, always towards the south.
As I re-read the description with the APOD picture, one word stood out to me-
“approximately”. That road runs approximately East-West. So there certainly is a margin for error there. I will do as you suggest, go outside and see if I can ascertain for myself where the Sun will set, although it won’t be easy, too many trees and buildings in the way. My iPhone does have a compass on it, so I will give it a try. Hope you don’t mind my being nosy, but I checked out your profile.
A Navy man. Cool! I know you know what you’re talking about.
And thank you so much for your service! I just missed the Draft back in the day. I turned 18 just after it was abolished. I would’ve gone if I had been drafted, and not high-tailed it to Canada like a lot of guys did.
Thanks again.
Let me know what your compass says.
It just seems obvious to me.
Please,please, stop posting about things of which you are ignorant.
The sun sets on the horizon in the exact west on the equinox.
Over the year, the point on the horizon where the sun sets in the northern hemisphere moves from the southwest in December to the northwest in June, crossing the 270 degree (west) bearing on the equinox.
You are displaying an arrogant ignorance harping on this nonsense and showing yourself the fool.
Please post your errors on twitter where they are always welcome.
“...The sun sets on the horizon in the exact west on the equinox...”
-
At the equator.
What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know.
It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.
~Mark Twain
Take my compass challenge,
it will be getting dark soon.
About 240 degrees for me at sunset today.
West by Southwest.
I am a little north east of Atlanta,
approximately 34 degrees north latitude,
about 2400 miles north of the equator.
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