4
votes
2answers
55 views

Attenuation mass-thickness for sunset light

We are able to look directly at the sun near sunset and sunrise, which clearly demonstrates the fact that our atmosphere attenuates visible light. Let's imagine it follows the typical attenuation ...
-1
votes
3answers
120 views

What cosmic event would cause Sun rising from the west?

I'm wondering what kind of astronomical or geological events would cause the reversal of Earth's rotation. For instance, Is a meteorite passing very close to Earth able to reverse its rotation? Can ...
0
votes
0answers
27 views

What is the formula for calculating the length of any given day (sunrise to sunset)? [duplicate]

In a specific date what law gives us perfect measurements and how will we measure if latitude is given?
0
votes
1answer
50 views

How much energy is needed to curve the space so the Sun will come 1 meter closer to our planet? [closed]

How much energy/work will it take if our planet is: 5.9736×1024 kg or 3.0×10−6 Suns to move Sun and Earth 1 meter closer ...
3
votes
1answer
112 views

Finding radius of Earth through observation of Sun's motion

The question I'm about to pose is from a physics book I had recently bought. Since I am very interested in physics I am quite keen in understanding how this question can be solved. Before I present ...
5
votes
1answer
264 views

Why does the sun “shine brighter” some days?

Today, the sun seems extremely bright; more dazzling than usual, and even the roads seem to be brighter so it's not just when you look up in the sky. Is more light actually getting through (perhaps ...
2
votes
1answer
375 views

Application of diffraction problem!

Here is a problem that I am working on, which is the applying the concepts of diffraction to the setting of the sun: Air has a small, usually negligible index of refraction. It is 1.0002926. This ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views

How long until the sun cannot sustain human life on earth?

The sun will last, at its current brightness for 9 billion more years. How long until the sun gets burned down to the point where it cannot sustain life on Earth anymore? Updated: I am more concerned ...
0
votes
1answer
185 views

Does a coronal mass ejection change solar neutrino emission rates?

Does the CME and neutrinos have any relation? CME is measured by Corona graphs.. How do they measure neutrinos coming from the sun? Does any of these have effects on earth's magnetic field or ...
8
votes
5answers
199 views

sun-moon-earth anomaly

When one looks at the sun and the moon in the sky together, why is it that the illuminated crescent of the moon does NOT "point" at the sun? (More correctly the perpendicular bisector of the straight ...
2
votes
1answer
92 views

Why isn't sunset time in sync with solstice?

The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere in 2011 is on December 22. But if I look at the sunset times for a location such as Washington, DC on the USNO site, the sunset time starts reversing ...
22
votes
4answers
2k views

Why is a new moon not the same as a solar eclipse?

Forgive the elementary nature of this question: Because a new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and sun, doesn't this also mean that somewhere on the Earth, a solar eclipse ...
13
votes
2answers
240 views

Is the length of the day increasing?

In Frontiers of Astronomy, Fred Hoyle advanced an idea from E.E.R.Holmberg that although the Earth's day was originally much shorter than it is now, and has lengthened owing to tidal friction, that ...
4
votes
1answer
495 views

Formula for getting time of sunrise at a particular location?

Is there a formula that can get sunrise at a particular latitude and longitude (and elevation from sea level)? If so, what it is? (Why does it work?)