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The Sun, in its seasonal apparent movement across the sky, passes directly over the Equator twice each year, at the March and September equinoxes. At the Equator, the rays of the sun are perpendicular to the surface of the earth on these dates.

Places on the Equator experience the quickest rates of sunrise and sunset in the world. They are also the only places in the world where the sun can go directly from the zenithto the nadir and from the nadir to the zenith. Such places also have a theoretical constant 12 hours of day and night throughout the year, though in practice there are variations of a few minutes due to the effects of atmospheric refraction and because sunrise and sunset are measured from the time that the edge of the Sun's disk is on the horizon, rather than the center of the disk

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What does the equinoxes mark?

In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox marks the first day of fall. An equinox happens twice a year, when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal.


Why are the equinoxes special times during the year?

The year has two equinoxes, which are the days on which the night and day are of equal length. They happen when the apparent position of the Sun (on the ecliptic) crosses the Earth's equator.The equinoxes are usually March 21 and September 22, and on those days the Sun has a declination of zero and is overhead at the equator.


Could a sundial be used throughout the year?

A sundial can be used throughout the year, but its accuracy may vary depending on the season and the latitude of the location. Sundials are most accurate during the equinoxes, when the sun's path is directly overhead at noon. In locations closer to the poles, the accuracy of a sundial may decrease during the winter months when the sun's path is lower in the sky.


How would you observe and measure the way the sun appears to move across the sky?

You could put a stake vertically in the ground and make a mark on the ground where the shadow of the top of the stake is throughout the day and year.


How are the Arctic and Antarctic Circles different?

The Arctic Circle is in the Northern Hemisphere and encompasses the area around the North Pole, while the Antarctic Circle is in the Southern Hemisphere and surrounds the South Pole. The Arctic Circle is predominantly ocean surrounded by land, while the Antarctic Circle is mostly landmass surrounded by ocean. Both circles mark the latitudes where 24 hours of continuous daylight or darkness can occur, depending on the time of year.

Related Questions

What is the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn?

The tropics of Capricorn and Cancer are latitudinal lines similar to the equator on the globe. The Tropic of Cancer is the northernmost latitude at which the sun appears overhead at noon (at the summer solstice). The Tropic of Capricorn is the equivalent southern latitude, except that the sun is overhead on the winter solstice. Currently, the Tropics of Cancer and Cancer lie just over 23 degrees from the equator. These two latitudinal limits are also the limits of the geographical region known as the Tropics. If you live outside the Tropics, then the sun will not be directly overhead at any time of the year, but will instead always be to the south or north.


What are the two tropical lines north to south of the equator?

The two tropical lines north and south of the equator are the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees north of the equator) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees south of the equator). These lines mark the farthest points from the equator where the sun can appear directly overhead at noon.


How was the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn determined?

It is to indicate the start and end of the Tropics. It also shows the northernmost and southernmost points on Earth where the Sun shines directly overhead at midday in the June solstice and December solstice respectively.


What days mark the days when the sun is directly over the equator?

What are spring and fall equinoxes


What do the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn define?

The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are imaginary lines located at 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator, respectively. They mark the northernmost and southernmost points where the sun appears directly overhead at least once a year, leading to the longest days (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest days (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.


What is the silimitaries of tropic of cancer and Capricorn?

Both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are located at a latitude of 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator, respectively. They mark the farthest points north and south where the sun appears directly overhead during the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, respectively. These imaginary lines indicate the limits of the tropical climate zone.


What is the geographic significance of the two tropic lines?

The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn mark the northern and southern boundaries, respectively, of the region within which lie all the points on Earth where it is ever possible for the sun to be directly overhead, at any time of day and on any day of the year.


What two imaginary lines mark the tropical climate regions?

The two imaginary lines that mark the tropical climate regions are the Tropic of Cancer, located at approximately 23.5 degrees north of the equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn, located at approximately 23.5 degrees south of the equator. These lines define the boundaries of the tropical zone where the sun is directly overhead at least once a year.


Is there a connection between the earths tilt and the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer?

Yes, the Earth's tilt is responsible for the existence of the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. These lines mark the farthest points north and south where the sun appears directly overhead at least once a year, which is influenced by the tilt of the Earth's axis in relation to its orbit around the sun.


What is the purpose of the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn?

The Tropic of Cancer represents a line around the earth at 23 degrees 26 minutes north latitude, signifying that this is the farthest north that the Sun reaches. The Tropic of Capricorn lies at a similar latitude south of the equator. The area between these lines is referred to as "the tropics".


What lines mark the tropics or low latitudes?

The Tropic of Cancer is located at approximately 23.5 degrees north latitude, while the Tropic of Capricorn is located at approximately 23.5 degrees south latitude. These lines mark the northernmost and southernmost latitudes where the sun can be directly overhead at least once a year.


What lines mark the tropics?

The equator