Sunrise Sunset. The Sky Blog. Day 27.

I think I may have to begin to add a research position to this blogging enterprise, like an internship. Or maybe I need to partner with someone at the college or the lab, for I’m finding that I’m a bit in over my head (sorry) with this topic. The more I look up, the more questions I have. But the main one at the moment is this: Is there something fundamentally different, and I’m speaking on the level of optics, physics, space science, of course, in what is going on at sunrise vs. what is going on at sunset.

Basically what I want to know is this, could an expert always identify a snapshot of a sunrise from a sunset. Take the above pic for example? Sunrise or sunset? Obviously the trajectory of the sun is different, we’re moving from dark to light instead of light to dark. And obviously we’re dealing with opposite sides of our sky. But does that effect the color up there or the angle of the light or the way the light hits the clouds? Is there some more hope in a sunrise? Is it gentler? Does one tend to progress quicker? Does it depend on where you are on the Earth?

I have no clue. I don’t even know if these are idiotic questions. But if I don’t ask them, who will? Who will? If you know the answers to any of the above, (including whether the above pic is a rise or a set) please chime in. If you really are knowledgable, I may give you a title.
Chin Up,
David