Have you ever noticed that the sun appears much larger in the morning and evening, while appearing smaller during the day? Generally, every person must have seen this scene at one time or the other, but the question arises that does the sun really become bigger at that time or is it just an illusion of our eyes?
The size of the Sun never changes, but it is an illusion we call the sunset illusion or optical illusion, which is caused by our brain and environment. Let us know today why the sun appears bigger in the morning and evening and what is the scientific reason behind it.
How big is the Sun really?
The size of the Sun always remains the same in our eyes. Let us tell you that the diameter of the Sun is about 1,391,000 km (1.39 million km), which is about 109 times larger than the Earth. The size of the Sun remains constant and its diameter does not change, yet we often feel that the Sun appears much larger in the morning and evening. Is it true that the shape of the Sun changes? So let us tell you that it is not so, it is only a visual illusion, which occurs due to some mental processes occurring in the vision of our eyes and brain.
Why does the Sun appear bigger in the morning and evening?
When the Sun is near the horizon in the morning and evening sky, it appears larger. We also know this as Horizon Illusion (Skyline Deception) or Sunset Illusion (Nightfall Deception). It is a visual illusion, caused by brain processes and environmental conditions.
Basically, when the Sun is high in the sky our brain thinks the Sun is very far away, while when the Sun is close to the horizon, we think it is very close. So when closer to the origin, the brain perceives it as larger and closer. Although there is no actual change in the position and distance of the Sun, our brain interprets this as the Sun appears larger.
The atmosphere around the Sun, such as atmospheric gases, dust, and water vapor, helps scatter the Sun’s rays. When the Sun is closer to the horizon, its rays travel longer distances through the Earth’s atmospheric layer, resulting in greater dispersion of sunlight. It also affects the color of the Sun, making it appear more red, orange or pink. When the Sun is higher in the sky, the atmospheric layer is thinner and less sunlight is scattered, making the Sun appear smaller and whiter.
Why does the Sun appear smaller?
When the Sun is near the horizon, its light passes through the densest parts of Earth’s atmosphere. This process is called refraction. Due to refraction, the sun’s rays bend and the sun appears slightly larger.
