Science Common Sense

1127 - Why do the sunrise and sunset times and positions change with the seasons?

Imagine the Earth as a big ball. It rotates on its side as it moves around the sun. This tilt is about 23.5 degrees.

Because of this tilt, different parts of the Earth get different amounts of sunlight throughout the year. This causes the seasons. In summer, the part of the Earth you're on is tilted towards the sun, and the sun appears higher in the sky. In winter, it's tilted away from the sun, and the sun appears lower.

As the Earth moves around the sun, the position of the sunrise and sunset changes too. Imagine you're standing on the equator and holding a flashlight (the sun). When you're on one side of the equator, the flashlight shines on one side of the Earth, making sunrise and sunset there. As you move to the other side, the light shines on the other side of the Earth, making sunrise and sunset on the other side.

This movement, combined with the tilt of the Earth, makes the sunrise and sunset times and positions change throughout the year.