• Question: Why does the sun rise in the east

    Asked by anon-260498 on 16 Oct 2020.
    • Photo: James Smallcombe

      James Smallcombe answered on 16 Oct 2020:

      The day and night cycle is caused by the entire planet spinning, so the sun is either above where we are and the light can reach us, or the earth is between us and the sun (so the sun is below us) and the light cant reach us.

      Due to this spinning of the earth, the UK is always moving towards the east at 265 meters per second (almost 600 miles an hour). As we pass between the side where the sun light is blocked and the side where it isn’t, the sun appears to rise in the east. Like climbing of a hill at night and seeing lights in the distance as you reach the top.

Comments