Sunrise and Sunset

Shadows Shadows give information about the position of the Sun. If you are in North America the Sun will always create a shadow that is cast northward. Shadows will move over the course of a day because the Earth rotates in relation to the Sun. Earth’s rotation causes the Sun to appear to rise in the east and set in the west. In the winter, shadows will appear longer than in the summer. Shadows are shortest at noon.

Shadows in the Morning N W E S

Shadows at Noon N W E S

Shadows in Late Afternoon

Sunrise and Sunset No matter where you are on Earth, the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. Sunrise and sunset occurs because Earth is spinning, or rotating. Earth moves in an eastward direction. It takes Earth one full day (24 hours) to rotate once. When our side of Earth faces the Sun we experience daytime. When our side of Earth faces away from the Sun we experience nighttime.

Summer or Winter Earth will travel (revolve) around the Sun every 365 days. Earth is slightly tilted as it travels causing the sun to appear lower or higher in the sky as the year passes. In summer Earth is tilted so that the Sun’s position in the sky appears more directly overhead. In the winter the Sun’s position in the sky appears lower.