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Sunsets
27Mar,2024
Sunsets
Have you ever been driving west at sunset and wondered, "How fast would I have to go to keep up with the sunset?" Well, science has an answer for you. Don't try this at home, kids. (It takes a plane, anyway.)
The speed necessary to keep up with the sunset would depend on your latitude. At the equator, you would need to be going 1,000 mph. For reference, the Blue Angels (U.S. Navy) hit a max speed of 700 mph during air shows. At higher latitudes, however, this feat would be much more feasible. One team attempted to follow the sunset via air for a whole day through the Arctic (80 degrees latitude), requiring only 180 mph. Due to political restraints, they could only complete part of the rotation.
Altitude also makes a difference. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) see a grand total of 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day. This is because the ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes. Talk about a view!
Image credit: Ernest Valdez, Ph.D., USGS, Public domain.
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BY : Rhiannon Nevinczenko