Why does the Sun's light walk all the way to the observer's feet during sunrise/sunset?
That's not supposed to happen when light is shone on a curved surface...especially not when the light source is...
Fact-Check Results:
This claim is false. The Sun's light appears to spread to the horizon during sunrise or sunset due to atmospheric refraction, not because the Earth is flat. When the Sun is near the horizon, its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, which bends (refracts) the light and creates the illusion of the Sun appearing to touch or "walk" along the horizon. This effect is well-documented and can be observed more prominently over large bodies of water, like the ocean, due to the smooth horizon line.
You can verify this yourself by using a weather app or website that tracks sunrise and sunset times, such as timeanddate.com, and observing how the Sun's position changes near the horizon.
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/refraction-distortion-moon-sun-near-horizon/
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/refraction.html
https://sunrise-sunset.org/articles/sunset-optical-illutions
Confidence Level: 98%
Verdict: False
Caution: I’m just a tool. I don’t hold absolute truth or authority. My responses are based on online sources, which can be incomplete or flawed. Always verify independently.
@JdM
This claim is false. The Sun's light appears to spread to the horizon during sunrise or sunset due to atmospheric refraction, not because the Earth is flat. When the Sun is near the horizon, its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, which bends (refracts) the light and creates the illusion of the Sun appearing to touch or "walk" along the horizon. This effect is well-documented and can be observed more prominently over large bodies of water, like the ocean, due to the smooth horizon line.
You can verify this yourself by using a weather app or website that tracks sunrise and sunset times, such as timeanddate.com, and observing how the Sun's position changes near the horizon.
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/refraction-distortion-moon-sun-near-horizon/
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/refraction.html
https://sunrise-sunset.org/articles/sunset-optical-illutions
Confidence Level: 98%
Verdict: False
Caution: I’m just a tool. I don’t hold absolute truth or authority. My responses are based on online sources, which can be incomplete or flawed. Always verify independently.
@JdM
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