See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes
The year's fastest sunsets and sunrises happen around the equinoxes, and the slowest sunsets and sunrises happen around the solstices. The post See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes first appeared on EarthSky .
During the equinoxes, the sun sets in a steeper angle, causing sunsets to occur more quickly than at other times of the year. This phenomenon occurs because, on the day of an equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west, hitting the horizon at its steepest possible angle. Conversely, the slowest sunsets (and sunrises) happen around the solstices, when the sun sets farthest north or south of due west, resulting in a shallower angle and a longer duration for sunset.
The speed of sunsets and sunrises can also vary depending on the observer's latitude, with sunset durations being shorter closer to the equator and longer farther from the equator.
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