The sun is the ultimate source of heat, light, and energy to all the components of nature, including humans. The sun was always there since the beginning of the universe. Do you know how old is the sun? According to estimates by scientists, the sun is approximately 4.57 billion years old. While we are talking about this, let me ask you, does the sun always rise in the east? If not, then in which direction does the sunrise occur? Let us know more about which country sun rises first and many more interesting facts!
1. Why does the Sun Rise?
Everything in our solar system is moving on its determined axis except the meteors and asteroids, but more or less they also follow a path. You see the sunrise and the sunset because of the phenomenon of the rotation of the Earth in its orbit. Earth is rotating around the sun, which is why you see the sunrise and the sunset. (See What is Revolution and Rotation?)
2. In which Direction does the Sunrise occur?
You may think of it as a toddler-level question because everyone knows that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But it is not as simple as it seems because the sun rises from the east on only two particular days of the year. So, in which direction does the sunrise occur on the remaining days? On all the other days of the year, the direction of the sunrise is either south or north of the east direction. Check out the 11 Facts about Sunrise and Sunset.
3. In which Direction does the Sunset occur?
The situation for sunset is also the same as sunrise. Sunsets in the west only on the 2 particular days of the year, whereas on all the remaining days, sunsets occur either south or north of the west.
4. Does the Sun always rise in the East and set in the West?
Sun rises in the east and sets in the west only on two days, namely the spring equinox and the fall equinox. On all the other days, the rising and setting points change a bit either towards the northwest or northeast, or southwest and southeast. (See At What Time Does The Afternoon Finish And Evening Start?)
5. When is the Fall Equinox?
The fall equinox occurs mostly during the month of September and on this day the sun shines brightly and directly on the equator, along with the northern and southern hemispheres. All these regions get the same amount of light on this day. Does the equinox influence the answer to the question- which direction does the sunrise occur? Every place witnesses sunlight for approximately 12 hours and a few more minutes. The Autumn or Fall equinox can occur on any day from 21 to 24 September. This time you can possibly witness the fall equinox on 23 September 2022. (See When do Days Start to get Longer?)
6. When is Spring Equinox?
On this day, when the sun crosses the plane of the equator and moves towards the hemispheres, this phenomenon makes the day and night of equal lengths. It happens once a year, and next year you can witness this on 21 March 2023. (See What is the Vernal Equinox?)
7. Where did the Sun rise after the Fall Equinox?
After rising exactly in the east on the day of the fall equinox, the sun will start to journey towards the south. The motion is very slow but every day after the fall equinox the sun will rise slightly towards the south. This continues until the winter solstice after which it started moving towards the west. This is why on the next fall equinox you can have sunrise from the east. Must read What Time of Day is Solar Intensity Greatest?
8. Which Country Sun Rises First?
There is never-ending controversy over the country where the sun rises first. But according to the latest update in the year 2022, the country that witnesses the first sunrise is the East Cape. It is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand, and it is located at the northern end of the Gisborne District, New Zealand. Depending on which direction does the sunrise occur, is the time of sunrise also influenced? What do you think? (See Where is it Summer Right Now?)
9. Which Place Witnesses the Least Sunrises?
Most people around the world wake up long after sunrise to start their day. But there is a place where there is no sunrise for days and weeks. There are instances when there was no sunrise for 40 days in Murmansk, a place in the northwestern part of Russia. People in this region gather on the hilltop to watch the sunrise and then enjoy cups of hot toddies (a hot water drink). The period without sunrise is known as Polar Nights. (See Does the Sun have Seasons?)
10. In Which Country does the Sun Rise Last?
The unincorporated territory of the United States which is located in the South Pacific Ocean is the one to witness the sunrise in the whole world. It means the country where the sun rises last is American Samoa along with Baker Island and Howland Island in the United States. However, during winter Alaska in the United States is the country to witness the late sunrise. (See How many Minutes of Daylight do We gain after Winter Solstice?)
11. In Which Country the Sun Never Sets?
Besides knowing in which direction does the sunrise occur, it is interesting to know about places where the sun does not set. You must have heard about the Land of the Midnight Sun. There are several other countries that witness no sunset.
- Barrow: This region in Alaska does not experience sunsets from late May till late July. However, from early November the region does not witness any sunrises for consecutive 30 days.
- Finland: Sun is constantly up for almost 73 days of the year, mostly in the months of summer. However, during winter sunrises are rare in Finland.
- Iceland: In this region, the sun actually never sets and there is no darkness even at midnight. In summer, even the nights are bright with a constant sun overhead during the month of June.
- Norway: This country is called the Land of the Midnight Sun because it is the place where the sun never sets for almost 76 days of the year. It is mostly during the summer, from May till the end of July, the country experiences constant sunlight. In Svalbard in Norway, the sun never sets between the 10th of April and the 23rd of April.
- Nunavut: This northwest region of Canada experiences uninterrupted sunlight for about 2 months of the year. Moreover, this is balanced by constant darkness during winter for about 30 days.
- Sweden: The country enjoys constant sunshine for about 6 months a year from the beginning of May until the end of August. The average time for sunset is around midnight after which it rises again at 4 am.
So, in which direction does the sunrise occur? Hope you got the answers and no doubts remain. It is time to ask your friends and family about which country sun rises first and see who answers it right. (Read Why Japan is Called Land of Rising Sun?)
