The sun creates shadows throughout the day due to its position in the sky and the way it emits light. Here’s how the process works:
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Light Source: The sun is a powerful, natural light source. When sunlight hits an object, it cannot pass through that object, creating a shadow on the surface behind it.
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Position of the Sun: The sun's position changes throughout the day as the Earth rotates on its axis. This rotation causes the angle at which sunlight strikes objects to shift, affecting the length and direction of the shadows they cast.
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Morning and Evening: In the early morning and late afternoon, the sun is low in the sky. Because of this low angle, shadows are longer and extend away from the light source. For example, if you're facing east in the morning, your shadow will stretch toward the west.
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Noon: Around midday, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky (solar noon), the sunlight comes from directly above or nearly so. At this time, shadows are at their shortest, and if the sun is directly overhead, shadows may even be very minimal or fall directly beneath objects.
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Afternoon: In the afternoon, as the sun begins to set in the west, shadows again grow longer, extending toward the east. The angle of sunlight continues to lower, resulting in varying shadow lengths and directions.
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Seasonal Changes: The sun's path across the sky also changes with the seasons due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. In summer, the sun is higher in the sky, leading to shorter shadows, while in winter, it is lower, resulting in longer shadows.
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Environmental Factors: The nature of the surface where the shadow lands (like grass, pavement, or water) can also affect how shadows appear. Obstructions (like buildings or trees) can cast additional shadows, changing the pattern as the sun moves.
Overall, the interplay between the sun’s position, the time of day, and the nature of the objects near the light source all contribute to the dynamic patterns of shadows we observe throughout the day.