Sunrise At Equator

[bainbrig]

At the equator, does the sun appear to rise in the east then ‘go up’ in a straight path over head then down again and sets due west?

BB

[KARL]

Essentially, yes, although because the earth's axis is tilted there are seasonal variations when the sun at the apex of its track/path is either slightly north of vertically overhead or south of that.

[SlackAlice]

As I understand it, you are correct, but only at the June and December solstice. Slightly better explained visually in the following link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancer#/media/File:Axial_tilt_vs_tropical_and_polar_circles.svg

[Hopkirk]

At midday on the solstice you appear to have no shadow.

[Peter Pedant]

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equator

and read - shortest sunrise and sunset as the path is virtually perpendicular at the horizon...

[SlackAlice]

Hopkirk
It's there!
Under your feet ☺☺☺

[Old_Geezer]

My understanding is that the sun will appear overhead between the two tropics at various times so not just at the equator.

[Hopkirk]

The sundial on the ground looks like it isn't working as well.

[ToraToraTora]

yes, on the 2 equinoxes, other than that it will appear a bit to one side or the other between the solstices.

[bainbrig]

Thanks for the answers.

It has always fascinated me - particularly how the Ancient Greeks, with virtually no resources, managed to glean that the sun didn't move, and that we did, when any skoolboy knows wot he sees with his own eyes, the sun rising and setting.

In fact, had we been confronted with this monstrous idea 60+ years ago at school, I think it would have done us a power of good, in terms of logic, physics, maths, etc., etc.

And like most people, I STILL have difficulty in holding to the idea that it is us that's moving, when I see the sun so obviously rising and moving on up the sky!

BB

[ToraToraTora]

the great thinkers of the past also had to overcome religion too. Galileo, for example, was threatened with torture by the Spanish Inquisition unless he accepted that the Earth was centre of the universe. Also the word "Planet" comes from the Greek for "wanderer" because the planets move against the main star background so many astronomers of the time cam up with ever more elaborate explanations for planetary motion to avoid doubting what they knew to be certain that the Earth is the centre of the universe.

[New Judge]

"As I understand it, you are correct, but only at the June and December solstice..."

Not at the solstices, Slack but, as 3Ts explains, at the Equinoxes. The sun will appear directly overhead from the Tropic of Cancer at the June Solstice and from the Tropic of Capricorn at the December Solstice.

[SlackAlice]

New Judge
Ooops for my error.
Wrong word used.
Still, whats a word between friends ☺☺

[bainbrig]

Tora. You’re shaking my faith in right-wing gittery. More ranting, less explaining, please.

[ToraToraTora]

that's gratitude for you!

[Hopkirk]

Where Alice lead, I followed. Oops.