The Taipei Astronomical Museum pointed out that recently, when you go out in the morning, have you felt that the sky is already bright or even the sunlight is dazzling? Yes, because this week is the day of the “earliest sunrise” this year.
According to the astronomical data of the Taipei Astronomical Museum, the sunrise time in the Taipei area from June 6th to 12th is 5:03 in the morning, which is the earliest sunrise of the year. The “civil dawn,” when the sky begins to gradually brighten, appeared as early as 4:38, leaving early risers, such as office workers and students, astonished: “How come the sun is already so high?”
Many people mistakenly believe that the longest day and the earliest sunrise of the year fall on the summer solstice (which is on June 21 this year), but that is not the case. The summer solstice marks the longest daylight of the year but not the earliest sunrise. This is due to the combined effects of the Earth’s elliptical orbit and its axial tilt. For example, this year, the sunrise time on the summer solstice is 5:05, which is actually 2 minutes later than this week.
The Taipei Astronomical Museum further explained that the latest sunset is also not on the summer solstice but between June 26th and July 9th, when the sun sets at 6:48 in the evening, about 1 minute later than on the summer solstice. The latest sunrise, on the other hand, occurs in mid-January during winter, with a sunrise time of 6:41 in the morning, a full 1.5 hours later than now!
Looking at the “daily path” chart produced by the Taipei Astronomical Museum, it can be seen that if you observe the position of the sun in the sky at the same time every day (such as 7 in the morning), the height of the sun during the earliest sunrise period will be about 20 degrees higher than during the latest sunrise. This is why recently, when you go out in the morning, the sun is already high above your head, giving you the feeling that “the day is starting unusually early.”
The Taipei Astronomical Museum reminds the public that this period is when the sunrise time is the earliest and the dawn appears the earliest, making it an excellent opportunity to observe the changing morning light or capture the colors of the sky at sunrise and dawn. You may consider waking up early to experience the beauty of the earliest mornings of the year. For more related astronomical information, please refer to the Taipei Astronomical Museum website’s “Astronomical Knowledge – Celestial Forecast” section.