ABSTRACT
Undeniable feelings of renewal and hope accompany the sunrise; and comfort and peace with the sunset. It is no surprise that so much prize-winning landscape photography is created during these special times. This chapter explains the science behind the phenomena of sunrises and sunsets, and why they appear the way they do. The precise moment of sunset or sunrise, i.e. when the last vestige of the sun disappears/appears over the horizon, conveniently represents the point in time against which all preceding and subsequent events can be measured. The night sky becomes darker much faster for equatorial observers than for those at higher latitudes during sunset, and the reverse during sunrise. As the sun drops vertically below the horizon near the equator, its illumination recedes at its greatest rate. In contrast, for observers at higher latitudes, the sky can remain light for hours after sunset or before sunrise, and even stay illuminated for days on end!.
