Experiment | 6 sunsets at the same time and in the same place

in #science6 years ago (edited)

"No sunset is the same as another", that is the theory and motive of this essay. My idea is due to a simple perception that I forged through continuously appreciating them throughout my life, but curiosity pushed me to investigate and discovered that my presumption was very close to reality.


📌 The following experiment is a self-taught test, but with a professional character, which I tried to do following the methods of developing an investigation; mainly to solve a personal enigma, which in other words perhaps has already been resolved.


💡 Hypothesis


I consider that the concept of "beauty" in each person is totally subjective, but clearly conditioned; I believe it induced by the social environment and its pre-established canons through time, but I also conceive it as an evolutionary advantage, just as the philosopher Denis Dutton raises it in his Darwinian Theory of beauty.

This advantage refers to the capacity that the human being has developed since its first evolutionary phases to distinguish something as "beautiful". Dutton, based on the premise of the scientist Charles Darwin, explains that in the prehistoric Pleistocene environment was where we became completely human, and by the social situations in which we evolved, we expanded our sensitivity, and therefore, our emotional intensity.


"Is beauty in the eye of the observer? Not! It is deep in our minds, it is a virtue, it is given to us by the intelligent capacities, and the rich emotional lives of our ancestors. Our reaction to beauty will be with us and our descendants as long as the human race exists, "concluded Dutton in the 2010 TED Talk.


🎞️ If you want to enjoy presenting your theory in the conference, do click here.


The studies of the philosopher indicate that a landscape that is similar to the environment of the Pleistocene where we evolved, causes attraction in humans because it is a similar visual experience that has been experienced from generation to generation.

From that affirmation is where the sunsets are a reason for my hypothesis; it is possible that the hypnotic effect caused by sunsets in man is due to that evolutionary relationship with the natural spaces where our development began as reasonable beings.


📄 Other bases


But a sunset is not just beauty. That same evolutionary advantage allows us to analyze that it is composed of several elements, and that this composition is the product of certain atmospheric phenomena.

The sunsets are basically due to three optical effects: to the Refraction of the light, to the Rayleigh Dispersion and to the Atmospheric Refraction.

📍 Refraction of light is the change of direction that a wave experiences when it crosses a medium.

📍 Rayleigh Dispersion is the division of light through particles of equal or smaller size than the length of their waves.

📍 Atmospheric Refraction is the phenomenon that causes you to see the sun over its real position.


The colors in the sky are the product of the sun interacting with the atmosphere (the outer layer that surrounds the earth). The sun is polychromatic, the light that radiates is perceived as white, but in reality it is composed of the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet).

This is due to the Refraction of the light, when the sun's rays make contact with the earth's layer, the same effect occurs when passing through a prism with a white light: the light separates in different directions and colors visible to the human eye.

Each color represents energy that has its own projection distance, and depending on its range are known as "long-wavelength" (red, orange and yellow) or "short-wavelength" (blue and violet). When we speak of "waves" we refer to the natural behavior of light, to the way it propagates.

The waves always travel in a straight line, unless something gets in their way, in which case the aforementioned refraction, scattering, or a reflection (the light hits and changes direction) tend to occur.

And precisely the Rayleigh Dispersion, is the reason why the sky generally looks blue and only the sunsets are between reds, oranges and yellows, sometimes between violets and pinks.

The amount and type of molecules that make up the atmosphere determines the interaction of visible light with that medium, and the position of the sun defines what kind of waves are those that will make the most contact.

As I mentioned, for the dispersion to be accomplished the atmospheric particles must have a size much smaller than the length of the wave, more or less a thousand times smaller than the size of a strand of hair.

On the other hand, when the sun is at the highest point of the elevation above the horizon, the waves are long when the clouds predominate, and when the sun is close to the horizon or below it, long-wavelengths predominate (the red ones).



📌 The Doctor in Physics, Walter Lewin, perfectly explains what the Rayleigh Dispersion is about; in the video shows some incredible examples. If you want to better understand this effect, I recommend you see it.
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What occur is the following:

  • The sky looks blue because... solar energy goes through the atmosphere, light that was white was separated in the colors of the rainbow, and the sun was located in the sky, short-wavelengths predominate (blue), and this happens to be scattered everywhere by the tiny molecules of oxygen and nitrogen, as if bouncing off each other.
  • The color of the sunsets is due to the ... same process, but the position in which the sun is located causes the prevailing waves to vary. The Atmospheric Refraction causes us to see the sun above its true location, and when the star is close to the horizon, it has already crossed that line; which means that the light that radiates has to go through much more atmosphere than being at its highest point.

That is why the short-wavelengths (the blue ones) do not reach to spread completely through the sky, while the long-wavelengths (red, orange and yellow) do have the ideal projection, and the particles end up dispersing these colors.

This approach also responds to why during the day the clouds look white and at sunset they look colorful. It is due to the Dispersion of Mie, it is the same process of the Rayleigh Dispersion with the difference that it is fulfilled through particles of a size much greater than the length of the light waves.

While short-wavelengths interact with the smallest particles, long-wavelengths are absorbed by the largest particles in the atmosphere, that is, those that make up the clouds; and precisely because of its density, light does not penetrate them, but that energy makes them look white; and the denser the darker the cloud becomes, that is why the grayish color of some of them is due. When they look colorful it is because the light, thanks to the position of the sun, is reflected in them.

📎 Now we know why sunsets occur, but what makes them different from each other?


There are very red sunsets, others are more yellow or orange; in some the sun stands out, in other occasions it is not seen; Sometimes there are cloudy days that do not allow to enjoy that visual spectacle, and also clear days, or where the clouds embellish the landscape much more.

All those characteristics of a sunset are also generated by atmospheric and meteorological phenomena.

In the case of colors, these are intensified according to the amount of solid particles in suspension in the atmosphere; the more dust, dirt and gases, the more saturated the sunsets will be, because the waves will have more particles to "bounce".

The climate is another factor that influences the composition that differentiates each twilight, mainly because through it the clouds that stand out or annul the observation of these are formed.

The clouds are the result of the transformation of liquid to solid from water vapor. In its formation influences the temperature and the movement of the air.

The types of clouds are divided into four categories:

  • Cumulus: typical of sunny days; It has a rounded shape. It is easy to recognize because it looks like a speck of cotton.

  • Cirrus: with these clouds the sky looks as if it had been painted with brush strokes. Its appearance is long and thin filaments.

  • Stratus: they appear as extensive cloud layers, which often forecast rain. They are the ones we see on cloudy days.

  • Nimbus: it is a cloud of rain. Its medium height and its dark gray color allows to distinguish them easily. They cover the sky in a way that does not allow sunlight to pass through due to its thickness.

In turn, these can merge with each other creating more classifications, such as: cirrocumulus, cirrostrato, altostratum, altocumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus and cumulonimbus.

The cumulus and the cirrus are the clouds that embellish even more the sunsets, while the stratus and the nimbus have the ability to avoid being visualized. Although in certain days of rain it is also possible to observe them, since the sun is in a plane and the cloud that produces the precipitations moves in another.

📎 And when does all this happen?


The whole process that involves a sunset literally occurs in an twinkling of an eye.

At 6:00 in the afternoon the sun begins to set; at 6:25 p.m it is at its most gleaming point, where it can be admired in all its splendor; but it is impressive how in just 5 minutes, after 6:40 p.m, it disappears completely.

After that, the sky is dyed with colors and upholstered by the shapes of the clouds, until there is no trace of light after 6:55 at night.

But those schedules may vary depending on the geographical location, the season of the year and the state of the weather.

The schedule described is that of Venezuela.

Now, in the Cambridge English Dictionary defines "experiment" as "a test done in order to learn something or to discover whether something works or is true", that is why, supported by the studies presented previously, and in my frequent observation of sunsets, I suggest that no sunset is the same as another.

The objective of my theory is to show that there are physical elements after sunsets, both invisible and visible to the human eye, that make them different from each other.



🔎 Data collection


This is an explanatory type of research, it seeks to define the causes and consequences of a specific phenomenon, and the data collection method that I used was the observation.

For six continuous days, at the same time and from the same place, I made a photographic serie of each sunset. The equipment used was a Canon EOS Rebel T2i, and the catches were made from March 19 to 24, 2018, between 6:45 and 6:50 in the afternoon, at the pier of Playa Lido, in the city of Lecheria , in Anzoategui, Venezuela.

🌎 Anzoategui is a coastal state; its altitude is medium, it is 292 m.s.n.m (meters above sea level), and its climate is of high temperatures, high evaporation and constant winds.



📷 In the photograph you can see the breakwater where the data were collected. Every day I counted 20 steps from the entrance until I came to a stone that had white spots, to be able to locate myself exactly in the same place.


Taking into account the dependent variables (the location of the sun), and the independent variables (the time and the point of view), I executed the study. My purpose was to reveal the veracity of my theory, capturing in each one of the photos the effects of the optical phenomena and the meteorological influence.

Specifically I collected information about the effect of Rayleigh scattering, the types of clouds that are concentrated from that point around dusk and the time it took the sun to hide.



☀️ The experiment


📷 19/03/2018

Settings:ISO 100 - 35 mm - f/7.1 - 1/800 seg
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T2i
LensCanon EF 35-80 mm f / 1:4-5.6
Rayleigh scattering:Full length waves predominate. The intensity of the red light assumes that the amount of particles in the atmosphere is high.
Type of clouds:Cirrostratus.
Sunset time:6:45 p.m.

📷 20/03/2018

Settings:ISO 100 - 35 mm - f/7.1 - 1/160 seg
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T2i
LensCanon EF 35-80 mm f / 1:4-5.6
Rayleigh scattering:Apparent minimal interaction of particles in the atmosphere, so the scattering of light is very slight. The low visibility may be due to the type of concentrated clouds.
Type of clouds:Stratus.
Sunset time:6:48 p.m.

📷 21/03/2018

Settings:ISO 160 - 35 mm - f/4.5 - 1/320 seg
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T2i
LensCanon EF 35-80 mm f / 1:4-5.6
Rayleigh scattering:The saturation level indicates that there is a moderate amount of particles scattering light of long length, and slightly those of short length.
Type of clouds:Cirros and Stratocumulus.
Sunset time:6:45 p.m.

📷 22/03/2018

Settings:ISO 100 - 80 mm - f/5.6 - 1/640 seg
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T2i
LensCanon EF 35-80 mm f / 1:4-5.6
Rayleigh scattering:Highlights red, orange and yellow light, possible result of an atmosphere full of particles.
Type of clouds:Cirrostratus.
Sunset time:6:45 p.m.

📷 23/03/2018

Settings:ISO 100 - 35 mm - f/5 - 1/200 seg
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T2i
LensCanon EF 35-80 mm f / 1:4-5.6
Rayleigh scattering:Effect of long-wavelength of considerable level.
Type of clouds:Cirros and Stratocumulus.
Sunset timel:6:47 p.m.

📷 24/03/2018

Settings:ISO 100 - 35 mm - f/5 - 1/125 seg
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T2i
LensCanon EF 35-80 mm f / 1:4-5.6
Rayleigh scattering:Mild interaction between particles and long-wavelengths. Despite the position of the sun, short-wavelengths still have an effect. The density and position of the clouds block out the sighting of the sun.
Type of clouds:Cirrostratos and Altocumulus.
Sunset time:6:47 p.m.



💬 Analysis of data


The photographic serie shows that:

  • Long-wavelengths predominate, such as red, orange and yellow.
  • In some cases short-wavelengths, such as blue and violet, managed to disperse despite the location of the sun, and merged slightly with the colors of long-wavelengths.
  • The types of clouds that stand out are the variants of cirrus, cumulus and strata.
  • Two of the six days were cloudy, and at sunset the sun was absent.
  • In four of the six days the time in which the sun is hidden coincides. At 6:50 p.m. It had disappeared completely.
  • In general, the sun descended by the same point most days, although with centimeters of difference in certain cases.



✔️ Conclusions


It took me a week to study Physics, Astronomy and Meteorology in order to analyze, understand, summarize and translate this study so that it would be easy to understand.

It was a challenge to work with sciences that I had not studied so much before, but when I arrived at this phase of the experiment, it was satisfying to have continued when I thought about stopping because I felt that my brain was going to explode trying to process so much information.

But I finally found that a Darwinian theory of beauty, the Atmospheric Optics, the Refraction of light, Rayleigh scattering, Atmospheric refraction, Dispersion of Mie, Phenomena meteorological, the clouds and their types, and the location at the time of the sun's fall, applied to the samples collected through the photographic record, produce as a result the veracity of my hypothesis.

After confirming my theory, I now observe the sky differently; Before I asked myself many questions about him, now I pass the time guessing the types of waves that are interacting with the atmosphere, classifying the clouds and forecasting the time.

I discovered that doing theoretical research gives you infinite knowledge, but if you dare to go to practice to solve your unknowns personally, intellectual development triples. In my case, all the questions were resolved, and I feel certain that I can affirm that no sunset is the same as another.



🔍 Sources:



🧠 If you have information that can complement or improve my work, I would love for you to share it.

📷 All the photographs used are my own and were taken with my Canon EOS Rebel T2i.

✏️ My native language is Spanish, sorry if I use any expression you don't understand, I try to translate the text as best as possible, but if you have any questions you can ask me.

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This post was upvoted by curie and it's trail as a result of a submission to the guild by @markangeltrueman. Curie is a curation guild which finds and upvotes high-quality posts by new and undiscovered members of the Steem community. View the blog at @curie and visit the website at http://curiesteem.com/

Thousand wows for this! I've never seen such visually appealing post on steemit! And also,the topic and idea and everythingg are just great! I just lately bought a proper camera so I probably didn't even get the full value of the post...but it's awesome..did I already say WOW? :D If this doesn't get curated then I don't really know what else does...

Halooo @curie, @hendrikdegrote, check this out! :D

If I could resteem this 100 times I would :) Btw where are those tiny icons from? - that camera, lookup thingie, paper clipper, green check mark etc...I really like them :D

Awesome post!

You have no idea how happy your comment makes me 💙

Developing this post cost me because I had to study about subjects that I did not know much about, but it was wonderful and it was worth it because I learned a lot about something that I love.

Thank you so much that you shared the post and that you mentioned Curie. It's the first time I've received such a big vote 😄

Ah! The emojis that I use to complement the text are an extension of Google Chrome, you can download it in your browser 😉

A big hug, Martin.

Muy bueno te felicito! tengo muchas fotos de lechería viví un tiempo por allá, saludos! :)

¡Muchas gracias @carlosadolfochac!

Hey, y qué mundo tan pequeño. ¿En qué parte viviste? ¿hace cuánto tiempo? ¿regresarás?

Un abrazo.

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Muchas gracias 😄

Por cierto ¿cómo sabes que me plagiaron? 😂

xq el muy burro público algo que me hizo el día con chiabes y estuve viendo sus post hasta que vi tu plagio

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