Question

Why does the sun seem to rise two minutes before the actual sunrise and set two minutes after the actual sunset? Explain with the help of labelled diagram.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Answer 1

The Sun is visible to people on Earth about 2 minutes before the Sun risesabove the horizon. Also we are able to see the Sun for about 2 minutes afterthe Sun goes below the horizon. Thisis due to the Refraction of light raysfrom Sun. The layers of air in the atmosphere have different densities.,

Answer 2

$\underline {\small {\bold{Phenomenon \: of \: Rising \: of \: sun}}}$

It is actually the phenomenon of advance sunrise and delayed sunset. The sun appears to rise two minutes before the actual sunrise and set two minutes after the sunset due to $\small{\bold{atmospheric \: refraction}}$. By actual sunrise, it meant that actual crossing of the horizon by the sun. The difference between actual sunrise and delayed sunset is of 2 minutes.

As the earth is not perfectly spherical, that's why when sun rays reach the earth atmosphere, they bend around it's surface and the light from the Sun get refracted by the atmospheric layers and hence, reaches the observer. This makes us think that the light is coming straight from the Sun.