The sun rises in the East. This much is taught in school.
Many do not notice this. The sun does not rise (or set) from the East every day of the year.
Technically, the sun rises from the accurate East only on March 21st and September 21st every year when you live on the Equator. The amplitude of variance through the year depends on how high or low on the globe you live. That means New York City and Beijing will experience the same variance!
The sun is on top of your head when its noon. That is what is taught in school, atleast in Tropical countries. Technically that is possible only once or twice a year in any of the places, if at all. It never happens if you live too high or low on the globe. There is a reason why there are many places where the sun does not rise for many days in the Winter of that hemisphere. That means places in Norway and places in Antarctica will not see the sun for the same number of days in their Winter!
The sun rises at different times in different places in the same country. What time you are following is the time you ‘decided’ to adhere to and not what the time actually ‘is’ at the place. This does not depend on how long the country is but how wide it is, and what time the country decided to follow in each place. Russia is so wide that they have to follow 11 different time zones so that the sun approximately will rise about same time in the country. At the same time India decided not to use different times across the country and so when the sun has risen already in Kolkata (Calcutta), it is still dark in Mumbai (Bombay)!
All the four seasons exist and are more prominent and defined as you go away from the Equator. The seasons are determined by the position of the sun. When it is summer in Europe, it is winter in Argentina. While it is keenly awaited in the USA, White Christmas is not a concept in Australia!
Many may think there is not much more here to learn. Very few know the concept of time, season and position. These are the basics of the existence. Think about it…people do not wonder enough about the sun’s relevance to daily life.
Capt Pappu Sastry/ CEO – ASL
