@Mike Lowry he has a SAG card because he has appeared on various TV shows, including Big bang theory. It's required to have sag membership to be on many shows. The scene in Star trek 4 where uhura and chekov are asking about the nuclear 'wessels', and the woman who stopped to answer them was actually just a person off the street She had to be inducted into the screen actors guild in order for that scene to be used. Just so you know people can have multiple professions....
@Mike Lowry Neil has had cameos in several productions , he has mentioned them on his podcasts previously. His Doctorate predates his SAG card. I think you need to loosen your tinfoil hat , it appears to be restricting the blood flow to your brain.👍
@1:30 - Neil says "There is one place on Earth where the Sun always rises exactly due East ... on Earth's equator." - That is incorrect!! In Quito (Equador) for example (which is on the Equator) the Sun only rises due east (90 degrees) on the equinoxes. On summer solstice the sunrise is as far north as 67 degrees, and at winter solstice it is as far south as 113 degrees. Note that the difference from equinox to solstice is 23 degrees, the tilt of the Earth axis, which is exactly what we would expect, even on the equator. What is almost exactly constant throughout the year on the equator is the length of day, it varies by around 2 minutes over the year. Similarly, the sunrise and sunset times vary very little, but much more than the length of day. In Quito sunrise varies from 5:53 to 6:24 local time, but this is not directly aligned with solstice and equinox due to the analemma. So on the equator, the Sun only rises due east on the equinoxes. But that of course goes for any location outside the arctic circles.
Yes. I am a fan of NDG but that is indeed inaccurate; major misspeak. I had to go back to make sure he said it. The accurate fact is that so long as you live outside of the arctic and Antarctica circles, there are (just) two days a year on which the sun rises precisely due East and they are the same days for all such locations: these days are the equinoxes. On all other days it rises north or south of east, up to the extreme of 23.5 degrees (which occurs on the solstices). The equator is unique only in that only there does the sun also traverse the zenith on the equinoxes. At all other latitudes the two subsolar days are other dates. At the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5 degrees north and south) the subsolar days are in fact the solstices.
James Sasinowski actually the Sun rises due East and sets due West everywhere on Earth on the equinox unless you’re at one of the poles in which case it circles the horizon
@yolanda jerginson I thumbed up your reply cause indeed it corrects one of the many inaccuracies this video has been riddled with. I'm sure NDT (who I like) if watching the video again would spot them all. Just saying that since he was about correcting the record he could have been more prepared (worst thing he said is what he asserted at 4:31). As to the less hospitable climate if no tilt, could you elaborate on that? I'm no climate scientist and I don't see what could be the reason if we are taking off the extreme seasons off, I can see the ice caps melting and the body of oceans raising but we are talking it it were always the case and the nature evolved under the premises of no seasons and all the sudden come 2020 we throw in a group of humans as if they were coming from Mars (no cities to rebuild, 0 humans evolved on earth and we get them into this // universe no seasons earth to explore it, what would it be like?).
Flat Earthiers are having a heart attack right now. Wonder how’s they explain polar summers and winters. 🤔 *A Star Talk a day keeps the Flat Earthier away!*
I spent some time living in the capital of South Korea. I was a Seoul man. I listened to Seoul music. And, I went to work on the Seouuuuuuuuul Traaaaaaaaaaaain.
I think you can be sure that the sun rises somewhere that always includes the word 'east'. North-east, south-east. But never north or south or west, definitely not west. As for the arctic circle, well it still rises easterly directions. Sometimes only once a year, but anyway. Also, "east" literally is derived from the word for dawn or sun. That possibly came before 'cardinal directions'.
Certainly. The Sun will always rise from a direction that is more east than west, and conversely, for it's setting..Unless, if you imagine the perfect moment, within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles, on the right day when the rising and setting of the Sun happen, virtually, simultaneously. Then, you would observe only the very edge of the Sun appearing just momentarily, and it would be precisely due South. One could argue that nothing is truly instantaneous and however short that moment, the Sun would migrate in an east to west direction, but its orientation to true South could be so close that it's deviation would be beyond perception. I hope you see my point. Also, I'd say it's quite reasonable to suspect that the word "East" originated probably long before a global understanding of Cardinal directions, but the distinction of how far from true East the Sun may rise on a given day is still important to make. For example, if someone were lost in the middle of a desert, with the understanding that their destination was eastward, following the exact direction of the sunrise would cause them to offshoot by an amount directly corresponding to the time of year and their lattitudinal positon.
Actually Neil is not correct about the equatorial sunrise and sunset. During the equinoxes, and only on the equinoxes, at every latitude sunrise is precisely due east, 090 degrees (with the exception of the poles, since every direction at the north pole is south and every direction at the south pole is north). During the solstices sunrise is 23.5 degrees north or south of 090 degrees at the equator because of the 23.5 degree tilt. As you move away from the equator, the number of degrees difference increases until you reach the Arctic and Antarctic circles where sunrise and sunset happen near due north and due south near the solstices. To help understand this: the angle between the Sun's arc and the horizon is dependent on latitude. It is actually always equal to 90 degrees minus the latitude number. Thus this angle is 90 degrees at the equator (perpendicular to the horizon), 0 degrees at the poles (parallel to the horizon), and varies in between (tilted toward the south in the North Hemisphere and toward the north in the South). So at the equator the sun always rises perpendicular to the horizon and maintains that perpendicular path as it sets. But the arc does move north and south just like everywhere else on Earth between the solstices and only on the equinoxes does it rise directly due east, pass exactly overhead (at the equator), and set exactly due west.
Neil is smart, but he is wrong all the time. He has a rare case of the dunning Kruger effect. He's smart, but also over confident in his intelligence, instead of just being all around an idiot
@@buttersmcfly9043 He's not smart. He's a parrot who regurgitates textbook information. Neil is not a critical thinker nor does he get paid for being anything but a propaganda mouthpiece.
I agree with you. Good explanation. I looked at a globe and could that at solstice the equator is at a 23.4° angle with the rays from the Sun making for an azimuth deviation of 23.4° from East at sunrise.
I'm german so I have to say sometimes I struggle a bit with the technical terms in Star Talk but then I just enjoy the calming voice and joy of explaining of Neil. And I'm pretty impressed by Chuck's knowledge of the many things Neil's talking about due to the fact he's not a scientist. Chapeau!
James Biggar : watch this 2min R. Dawkins video until the end. It might surprise you what people are capable of. ruclips.net/video/TjxZ6MrBl9E/видео.html
Don’t get your hopes up; there is a massive error in this video that your geography teacher will hit you back with when she shows it to the science teacher. (Namely, even at the equator, the Sun rises exactly east only on the equinoxes.)
For where most people live (20-50 degrees) the sun does rise in the "eastern sky" and set in the "western sky". Just because it is not directly due east or directly due west all the time doesn't mean the saying isn't generally correct. It could rise NE NEE E SEE SE but it will rise in the eastern sky for where people actually use this phrase.
I was lucky in the 50’s to have a teacher who had a working, Sun Earth Moon model. Since then I have always understood the rising, setting and movements of the sun and moon. I have been to the North Pole visited the Antarctica and lived on the Equator. Neil could have used a few visual aids for this one. Great Show
The ONLY time the sun rises due east at the equator is on the equinoxes. At the current time of year, it rises quite a bit to the north. And anywhere in the tropics will ALSO see a due east sunrise twice per year (except at the tropic lines themselves). Unless Neil is being loose with the term "due east" in which case it doesn't seem fair to be pedantic about "east" in general.
Exactly. Even if you are leaving on the equator it will not always be exactly east. For instance, when the declination of the sun is 23.5 deg North ( on summer solstice) sun rises is more or less from ENE.
As someone born and raised near the equator line, I took a long time to grasp the idea of longer em shorter days and seasons and those things. Seemed like fairie tales or something like that. Now I am discovering that, far from the equator, the sun not only rises at distinct times along the year, but also at distinct places! It looks insane! For me the sun rises at east at around 6 AM and sets at the west at around 6 PM and that is it! Every day! Along all the year!
Tyson sir, I have heard these details from you in some long episode of Q n A but I request you to make these kind of short videos and make it specific on RUclips.
I learn so much from listening to Neil explaining these events in such a way, I don't feel dumb from not knowing it in the first place! Thanks Neil and Chuck!
To quote the late Ed McMahon on this explanation, "You are correct, sir!" I'm an astronomy geek. In my youth I had the Messier catalog memorized. This is a very good explanation on how sunrise/sunset and the seasons work on this planet and its historical and practical significance. You're a gentleman and a scholar, sir.
I live in denmark, and right now the sun rises north/east, and sets in north/west. So this is true, and thanks for giving me the knowledge as to why this is
The arc of the Sun has fascinated humans for millennia, serving as the foundation for numerous celebrations and rituals across cultures. Ancient structures like Stonehenge were built to align with the Sun's movements, highlighting its importance in marking solstices and equinoxes. The term "solstice" refers to the times of the year when the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky, leading to the longest and shortest days. In modern times, phenomena like "Manhattanhenge" capture our attention, where the setting Sun aligns perfectly with the streets of Manhattan. Interestingly, there’s a zone on Earth where the Sun always rises in the East and sets in the West, due to its location on the equator. However, in the Arctic and at the North or South Poles, the Sun behaves quite differently, rising and setting in unusual ways. At the poles, the Sun appears to rise and set everywhere simultaneously during equinoxes, creating a unique experience of perpetual daylight or darkness. How does the movement of the Sun influence cultural practices and our understanding of time around the world?
1:45 Ecuadorian here, can confirm, also is only 100% accurate on June and December during solstice; you can mark the shadow of a stick at 12PM once a week and it will draw a small 8 the entire year where June 21 is the middle. The celebration of "inty Raymi" happens on that day, perfect date for the new years eve. EDIT: it's in the bottom of the 8, the middle is crossed during both equinox and the far away part is Christmas
This is true. I do farming, & observe the sun's path. It rises in different locations thruout the year. It's also never directly over my head, always at an angle.. (here in Maryland).. There's about a 3 hour difference between sunsets during hot & cold months, & about 50 degrees difference in temperature thruout the year. Thanks Neil & Chuck, I found you guys' video very informative.
Waoh maan I didnt know those 2 things 1. Meaning of solstice 2. The birth of jesus on 25th Dec when everybody is already celebrating... We learn so much because of you . Thank you .
The statement about the sun always rising / setting due east / west at the equator is wrong. It varies with the time of year there too. On the northern hemisphere's summer solstice, the sun rises and sets at the equator 23.5° north of east and west respectively. On the northern hemisphere's winter solstice, the sun rises and sets at the equator 23.5° south of east and west respectively. At the equinoxes it rises and sets due east and west, like everywhere else on the planet. The sunrise and sunset always vary their position throughout the year no matter where you are on earth.
sorry sir you are mistaken too sun's rise & fall happens due to earths rotation not because earth revolves around sun. you guys don't know anything about the world hahaha noobs.
I moved to North of Norway as an adult, and it struck me how the locals here are baffled by the notion of darkness during the summer, and daylight during the winter. To them, it's just normal, summer = constant daylight, winter = constant darkness. Also striking is how quickly the lengths of day and night change here. But it has to change from all-day to all-night in the same amount of time everyone else has.
Neil is wrong. The sun does not always rises in due east & sets in due west at the equator. This only happens during the equinoxes, not the rest of the year. If one wants to be super technical about the definition... if the sun rises due east at the equator by the time it sets it would have already crossed the equator so it could never both rises due east & sets due west on the same day.
An even bigger mistake that he makes is failing to recognise that the Earth’s magnetic field reverses sometimes but the axis of rotation is largely static. That means when the magnetic field is reversed the sun rises in the ‘west’. Also there is no place called the Artic. The arCtic is not pronounced that way.
@@andrewhazlewood4569 Please explain in more detail how the magnetic field reverses, what makes it reverse and how come we always see the illusion of the sun "raising in the east and setting in the west"?
I think there is one mistake at 1:30, please explain if I am wrong. At the equator during a solstice, It does not matter if it is the northern or southern solstice is used, but the time of sunrise and set is not 12 hours, but a several minutes short of 12 hours. The cause being the angle along the horizon for which it the sunrise happens ENE and ESE and these are not great circles.
Neil was wrong there but that is not why. Look at the boundary between night side and day side of the Earth on something like Google Earth. On the equinoxes that boundary is aligned directly north to south, at other times it is slanted because the north hemisphere is more sunlit from March to September and the south from September to March. Precisely half of the equator is always sunlit at all times since it is a great circle, hence constant 12 hour days, but the direction of sunrise and sunset is perpendicular to the boundary line between day and night which is slanted from north-south on any day other than equinox. The minute difference in 12 hour day time has to do only with refraction (Sun being slightly below horizon when it is already visible).
My first job after high school was at a movie theater that summer. I swear I saw the end of that movie at least a hundred times. Anytime I hear Chester Bennington belting "whaaaat I've doooone" I'm transported to the movie theater exit door.
@@stelioscharalambides8194 Well, people have lived in Africa for a longer period than in any other place on earth(matter-of-factly on the Equatorial part of Africa, i.e. the Savannahs), plus, that's the cradle of humanity and so it shouldn't be a surprise ;)
maybe they just knew what an average was. most cultures figured it out independantly, its pretty obvious. Then the word east means 'sun' in proto-germanic.
You guys are both fantastic. When I was working at at a job that I had to be outside facing east early in the morning, I was marking on the side walk every day from March through June, just to see how far north the sun rose. BTW I got got the Soul Train reference, I am 66.
I think the statement "the sun rises in the East" is technically true (the best kind of true) 3 different ways. First, as Dr. Tyson pointed out it does rise in the East on the equator every day and the statement didn't specify a place. Second, it doesn't specify when, so rising 1 day per year (or in actuality 2) due East would make the statement true as well. Third, it never specifies Due East, and if the Sun rises to the North East, that is still largely East. The point of the saying is the Sun rises in the East (not the West) and sets in the West (not the East). So unless Superman decides to spin the Earth backwards, we can be reasonably certain the sun will not rise in the West.
Great day Dr. Neil...I do not recall seeing the great planet parade alignment 7-4-2020 and its significance. Has any of your patreon followers asked that question for addressing?
Me: "Hey Neil am stuck on I-95 North, I'll be there in a minute" Neil: " But are you really??" Me: " Pretty sure man" Neil: "Oh, do I have a story for you"
I was actually expecting NdGT to explain that the sun technically doesn’t rise, but that it’s a resut of the earth’s rotation. Then again, he did talk about the seasonal differences in the arch of the sun
His reference at the beginning was in reference to the bible iin which I believe so my explanation is was I born on earth or in space. So I will remain with the bible
I love these videos! HOWEVER i have a suggestion to make: pls add some animations to kindof explain what he is talking about because it would definitely help us all understand better. I know you guys had some in the previous videos and I used to really like them so yeah!
I think this is a great place to let people know about the “Relativity of Wrong” essay that Isaac Asimov wrote in 1988. This section of it focuses on the flat earth/spherical earth debate: chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm Here is a short excerpt of that: “When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.”
Even on the equator it's not true that the sun rises exactly due East and sets exactly due West except on the equinoxes. However, the swing of the point on the horizon where the sun rises (or sets) over the span of a year is the minimum at the equator - and lies within 23.5 deg due N (or S) of true East/West.
I have several problems with this. 1. The sun only rises due east on the equator on the equinoxes (and even that is being generous as it's not exact for the same reason a day isn't exactly 24 hours - it will only be exact for one point each equinox). It's visually close to due east for the rest of the world on the equinoxes, but due to the angle of inclination it can never truly be due east for anywhere but the equator even on an equinox. If you're going to pretend someone means an absolute, then you have to be absolute. 2. The phrase as it's misquoted by so many people including the ones referenced here is "in the east", not "due east". (The original phrase doesn't actually even mention east or west.) You don't say something wasn't really "in the car" if it's on the dashboard instead of the center of the car, so it's not accurate to conflate "in the east" with "due east" like this. Since we define "east" and "west" based on the right-hand rule, it is unavoidably true that anything a body you're sitting on happens to orbit is going to rise "in the east". Now, you might point out that the right-hand rule is a modern rule, but the word "east" literally comes from "dawn". "The sun rises in the east" was a tautology up until the right-hand rule. The poles are the sole exception, and no one saying the phrase is standing at either pole unless they're being sarcastic. 3. The phrase in any of its forms also says nothing about "each day" even in the misquoted version, and in the Arctic and Antarctic, it does rise in the east, it just doesn't do it as often as it does elsewhere. 4. The ancients knew what seasons were and where the sun was during them. They had to for planning in even the earliest agrarian civilizations, and even the hunter-gatherers before them migrated based on the seasons. We have found very complex pictographic descriptions that make it absolutely clear ancient civilizations all over the world knew a LOT about the movement patterns of the sun (not just seasonal movement, but procession and even predicting eclipses). This fantasy that ancient people were dumb is extremely problematic. The ancient people had a very similar brain and intelligence that you have, and I'm pretty sure you didn't panic every year that the sun was going away until someone explained seasons to you. It's this same fantasy of "dumb" ancestors that has people claiming ancient aliens must have built things.
I have several problems with this. >>... but due to the angle of inclination it can never truly be due east for anywhere but the equator even on an equinox.>If you're going to pretend someone means an absolute, then you have to be absolute.>Since we define "east" and "west" based on the right-hand rule, it is unavoidably true that anything a body you're sitting on happens to orbit is going to rise "in the east".>The phrase in any of its forms also says nothing about "each day" even in the misquoted version ...>... in the Arctic and Antarctic, it does rise in the east, it just doesn't do it as often as it does elsewhere.
NDT: "If you live on the equator the Sun will always rise in the East and set in the West" Huh? That's not true. Independently of where you are on the Earth, the Sun will always rise exactly East and set exactly West on the equinoxes(March 21 and September 21). If you don't believe me fire up Stellarium and select a city on the equator. :)
City: Quito, Ecuador Latitude : -0.180653, very close to the equator(26 km/16 miles ) Screenshot from stellarium(sunrise): drive.google.com/file/d/1Mx7v4klCqvshKNchRZ0oGxZV9eloIpdm/view?usp=sharing As you can see, the sun is far away from east. :)
That is just nitpicking, it's still coming up in the east , and going down in the West a bit one way or the other is not really the point in your man's, declaration at the start of the video. It is gonna rise general East and go down in the general West maybe a little north of west nevertheless west.!
@@julius277/ it does if you're on Earth, I know we're travelling around the sun ! why does the the title of the video, say the sun doesn't always rise in the East and set in the West.??? More nitpicking lol
Is it really true, that on the equator sun always rises from the east and sets to west? Earth is tilted, right? So... doesn't that mean, that even for the people living at the equator, sun only rises from the east and sets on west just on 2 days a year?
Does matter like stars, planets and even galaxies themselves rotate in the same direction? Do individual stars planets and gas clouds all orbit around their galaxies in the same direction?
How do you even define direction? Clockwise becomes anti clockwise when you look from the other side and in space well, there is no top, bottom, left, right or front, back.
I wanted to just provide one critique on this one and please correct me if I'm wrong. My understanding is that the sun actually does not move in our sky as we would traditionally think it to. In fact, my understanding is that the location of the sun in the sky is directly related to the the earth's axis in its rotation around the sun. Essentially, the earth is turning west to east in relation to the sun on a daily basis. In the video you guys explain it as if the sun were moving in relation to the earth, but I understand it as the opposite. So while the sun's location in the sky changes, it is earth's rotation that dictates where in the sky it is at any given time. Just thought I'd add that in. Again love the videos! Keep it up guys!
I use shadows when I am hiking as a GENERAl way to determine direction if I don’t have a compass! This information has added new information to to help me refine my method and make it a little more accurate! Thanks Neil!
I suppose you are familiar with how to find approximate north/south using just an analogue watch and the Sun :) I still remember learning that as a kid, one of the first examples I saw of how the world works in predictable ways.
Growing up as a black child, Neil was the reason i went into physics
Now , i am currently in a masters of computational physics program.
give it up brother
@Mike Lowry he has a SAG card because he has appeared on various TV shows, including Big bang theory. It's required to have sag membership to be on many shows.
The scene in Star trek 4 where uhura and chekov are asking about the nuclear 'wessels', and the woman who stopped to answer them was actually just a person off the street She had to be inducted into the screen actors guild in order for that scene to be used.
Just so you know people can have multiple professions....
@Mike Lowry oh yes found the conspiratard...
@Mike Lowry Neil has had cameos in several productions , he has mentioned them on his podcasts previously. His Doctorate predates his SAG card.
I think you need to loosen your tinfoil hat , it appears to be restricting the blood flow to your brain.👍
This is why representation matters.
I really enjoyed learning what solstice means in Latin. So neat. 💫
Raine Hoopes nono, not neat, Neil.
Geography, The Sun, and Latin! Is like a buffet for the brain! 🌎🌍🌏☀
You may enjoy "polymathy"
@1:30 - Neil says "There is one place on Earth where the Sun always rises exactly due East ... on Earth's equator."
- That is incorrect!!
In Quito (Equador) for example (which is on the Equator) the Sun only rises due east (90 degrees) on the equinoxes. On summer solstice the sunrise is as far north as 67 degrees, and at winter solstice it is as far south as 113 degrees. Note that the difference from equinox to solstice is 23 degrees, the tilt of the Earth axis, which is exactly what we would expect, even on the equator.
What is almost exactly constant throughout the year on the equator is the length of day, it varies by around 2 minutes over the year. Similarly, the sunrise and sunset times vary very little, but much more than the length of day. In Quito sunrise varies from 5:53 to 6:24 local time, but this is not directly aligned with solstice and equinox due to the analemma.
So on the equator, the Sun only rises due east on the equinoxes. But that of course goes for any location outside the arctic circles.
Yes. I am a fan of NDG but that is indeed inaccurate; major misspeak. I had to go back to make sure he said it. The accurate fact is that so long as you live outside of the arctic and Antarctica circles, there are (just) two days a year on which the sun rises precisely due East and they are the same days for all such locations: these days are the equinoxes. On all other days it rises north or south of east, up to the extreme of 23.5 degrees (which occurs on the solstices). The equator is unique only in that only there does the sun also traverse the zenith on the equinoxes. At all other latitudes the two subsolar days are other dates. At the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5 degrees north and south) the subsolar days are in fact the solstices.
Rising (nearly) due east and setting (nearly) due west actually only happens in the tropics.
James Sasinowski actually the Sun rises due East and sets due West everywhere on Earth on the equinox unless you’re at one of the poles in which case it circles the horizon
@Chris Your first sentence is correct. Not sure about the second!
@@johnmcvey7014 r/wooosh
As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west at the Earth's equator.
Im sure it shines out of his back side
As sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West between the arctic and antarctic circles depending on the time of year
@yolanda jerginson I thumbed up your reply cause indeed it corrects one of the many inaccuracies this video has been riddled with. I'm sure NDT (who I like) if watching the video again would spot them all. Just saying that since he was about correcting the record he could have been more prepared (worst thing he said is what he asserted at 4:31).
As to the less hospitable climate if no tilt, could you elaborate on that? I'm no climate scientist and I don't see what could be the reason if we are taking off the extreme seasons off, I can see the ice caps melting and the body of oceans raising but we are talking it it were always the case and the nature evolved under the premises of no seasons and all the sudden come 2020 we throw in a group of humans as if they were coming from Mars (no cities to rebuild, 0 humans evolved on earth and we get them into this // universe no seasons earth to explore it, what would it be like?).
Flat Earthiers are having a heart attack right now. Wonder how’s they explain polar summers and winters. 🤔
*A Star Talk a day keeps the Flat Earthier away!*
🥤🍿
My dad's missing out.
Yeah up in Kiruna in northern Sweden you barely have any sunlight all winter and in summer the sun nearly never goes down.
I’m sure they have a ridiculous explanation for it.
@@Jay-om8gr I have cheetos and a Gatorade. 😂
I spent some time living in the capital of South Korea. I was a Seoul man. I listened to Seoul music. And, I went to work on the Seouuuuuuuuul Traaaaaaaaaaaain.
I'm pretty sure that was a wise Korea move for you.
Everyone: The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West
Neil: *Hold my Antarctica*
Hold my "Artica"
Hold my tilted Earth
Hold my physics
Hold my graphing utensils
the sun don't rise from the east the direction from where the sun rises is known as east👀
I think you can be sure that the sun rises somewhere that always includes the word 'east'. North-east, south-east. But never north or south or west, definitely not west.
As for the arctic circle, well it still rises easterly directions. Sometimes only once a year, but anyway.
Also, "east" literally is derived from the word for dawn or sun. That possibly came before 'cardinal directions'.
This is what I was thinking. High five dude ✋
Venus and Uranus are triggered
Which is why it's called Easter.
on the north pole, the sun rises in the south, then 6 months later, it sets in the south
Certainly. The Sun will always rise from a direction that is more east than west, and conversely, for it's setting..Unless, if you imagine the perfect moment, within the Arctic or Antarctic Circles, on the right day when the rising and setting of the Sun happen, virtually, simultaneously. Then, you would observe only the very edge of the Sun appearing just momentarily, and it would be precisely due South. One could argue that nothing is truly instantaneous and however short that moment, the Sun would migrate in an east to west direction, but its orientation to true South could be so close that it's deviation would be beyond perception. I hope you see my point. Also, I'd say it's quite reasonable to suspect that the word "East" originated probably long before a global understanding of Cardinal directions, but the distinction of how far from true East the Sun may rise on a given day is still important to make. For example, if someone were lost in the middle of a desert, with the understanding that their destination was eastward, following the exact direction of the sunrise would cause them to offshoot by an amount directly corresponding to the time of year and their lattitudinal positon.
"THE UNIVERSE IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE SENSE TO YOU".
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
I thiiiiiink that is sigma...
The universe speaks to me through knowledge....and lots of Star Talk...
One of the greatest statement in his book "Astrophysics for people in a hurry"
Neil degasbag is under no obligation to tell you the truth either !!!
@@alesscav99 Is there any viable scientific hypothesis in the field of astrophysics ?
Actually Neil is not correct about the equatorial sunrise and sunset. During the equinoxes, and only on the equinoxes, at every latitude sunrise is precisely due east, 090 degrees (with the exception of the poles, since every direction at the north pole is south and every direction at the south pole is north). During the solstices sunrise is 23.5 degrees north or south of 090 degrees at the equator because of the 23.5 degree tilt. As you move away from the equator, the number of degrees difference increases until you reach the Arctic and Antarctic circles where sunrise and sunset happen near due north and due south near the solstices.
To help understand this: the angle between the Sun's arc and the horizon is dependent on latitude. It is actually always equal to 90 degrees minus the latitude number. Thus this angle is 90 degrees at the equator (perpendicular to the horizon), 0 degrees at the poles (parallel to the horizon), and varies in between (tilted toward the south in the North Hemisphere and toward the north in the South). So at the equator the sun always rises perpendicular to the horizon and maintains that perpendicular path as it sets. But the arc does move north and south just like everywhere else on Earth between the solstices and only on the equinoxes does it rise directly due east, pass exactly overhead (at the equator), and set exactly due west.
I posted to say the same before I saw your post. I think you explain it better than I did, nice post!
Neil is smart, but he is wrong all the time. He has a rare case of the dunning Kruger effect. He's smart, but also over confident in his intelligence, instead of just being all around an idiot
@@buttersmcfly9043 He's not smart. He's a parrot who regurgitates textbook information. Neil is not a critical thinker nor does he get paid for being anything but a propaganda mouthpiece.
@@buttersmcfly9043 he is also a bit arrogant to be honest
I agree with you. Good explanation. I looked at a globe and could that at solstice the equator is at a 23.4° angle with the rays from the Sun making for an azimuth deviation of 23.4° from East at sunrise.
I'm german so I have to say sometimes I struggle a bit with the technical terms in Star Talk but then I just enjoy the calming voice and joy of explaining of Neil. And I'm pretty impressed by Chuck's knowledge of the many things Neil's talking about due to the fact he's not a scientist. Chapeau!
You could try captions or slow it down :)
The movie reference is Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope.
The binary star system is Tatooine.
I was hoping someone commented this, that way I wouldn't have to
👍
Nice topic. I'll now contact my geography teacher and show her this video
Pretty sure she's aware the earth is a globe.
James Biggar : watch this 2min R. Dawkins video until the end. It might surprise you what people are capable of. ruclips.net/video/TjxZ6MrBl9E/видео.html
@@ChineduOpara idiot...
Don’t get your hopes up; there is a massive error in this video that your geography teacher will hit you back with when she shows it to the science teacher. (Namely, even at the equator, the Sun rises exactly east only on the equinoxes.)
For where most people live (20-50 degrees) the sun does rise in the "eastern sky" and set in the "western sky". Just because it is not directly due east or directly due west all the time doesn't mean the saying isn't generally correct. It could rise NE NEE E SEE SE but it will rise in the eastern sky for where people actually use this phrase.
Yes, but this is Neil Degrasse Tyson and things must be correct... "general directon" just don't cut it 😁
@@venom.gaming well, in that case, he is entirely incorrect then, as the sun doesn't "rise" at all... right? ;-)
Carl du Toit lol you’re like « oh so you wanna play that game huh let’s be geeky then Neil »
I was lucky in the 50’s to have a teacher who had a working, Sun Earth Moon model.
Since then I have always understood
the rising, setting and movements of the sun and moon.
I have been to the North Pole visited the Antarctica and lived on the Equator.
Neil could have used a few visual aids for this one.
Great Show
The ONLY time the sun rises due east at the equator is on the equinoxes. At the current time of year, it rises quite a bit to the north.
And anywhere in the tropics will ALSO see a due east sunrise twice per year (except at the tropic lines themselves).
Unless Neil is being loose with the term "due east" in which case it doesn't seem fair to be pedantic about "east" in general.
Came here for this. If we’re splitting hairs, we need to split all of them! 🙂
Totally agree.
Exactly. Even if you are leaving on the equator it will not always be exactly east. For instance, when the declination of the sun is 23.5 deg North ( on summer solstice) sun rises is more or less from ENE.
I love Neil, but he really got this wrong, and missed a chance to explain the celestial equator and the ecliptic, and where they cross.
you are correct. i hope they correct that mistake
2020 be like: my next move confirmed..
Ok Boomer
@V 1 are u idiot
He isn't virat Kohli
And hate cricket who cares
V 1 I
Oooooooooh yes
As someone born and raised near the equator line, I took a long time to grasp the idea of longer em shorter days and seasons and those things. Seemed like fairie tales or something like that.
Now I am discovering that, far from the equator, the sun not only rises at distinct times along the year, but also at distinct places!
It looks insane! For me the sun rises at east at around 6 AM and sets at the west at around 6 PM and that is it! Every day! Along all the year!
You got it, you got it!!
Startalk is my favorite RUclips channel.
Tyson sir, I have heard these details from you in some long episode of Q n A but I request you to make these kind of short videos and make it specific on RUclips.
I learn so much from listening to Neil explaining these events in such a way, I don't feel dumb from not knowing it in the first place! Thanks Neil and Chuck!
Exactly
To quote the late Ed McMahon on this explanation, "You are correct, sir!" I'm an astronomy geek. In my youth I had the Messier catalog memorized. This is a very good explanation on how sunrise/sunset and the seasons work on this planet and its historical and practical significance.
You're a gentleman and a scholar, sir.
This is some delightfully nerdy stuff... ☀️ 🌍 😁
My mind is blown every time i listen to Mr. Tyson talk.
I love going from rewatching a star talk, to watching a new one 🌌🖤🌌Thanks for everything you guys do
It's almost as if it the phrase originated with flat earthers ;)
sharp
it originated with dwellers of equatorial regions. like we.
Probably was. At one point, the known world didn't know what was beyond the horizon.
Tyson’s relevance rises in 2011 and sets in 2020
I appreciate you both dearly, and thank you for honoring the Cosmos series. No one else could ever do it :)
The sun rises Eastish and sets Westish.
The more I listen/watch this podcast the more I respect how much Chuck knows. For example the degree of angle the earth spins on its axis
Neil's my hero! Love you Chuck too!
I live in denmark, and right now the sun rises north/east, and sets in north/west. So this is true, and thanks for giving me the knowledge as to why this is
I wish neil was my personal friend😂
I wish I had a friend
Friends are a social construct, so you can actually make friends without their consent.
SomeGenZ I’ll be our friend
yeah... too bad he's only our public use friend
Flash Berner
It’s only scary if they find you, just like how stealing is only illegal if you get caught
The arc of the Sun has fascinated humans for millennia, serving as the foundation for numerous celebrations and rituals across cultures. Ancient structures like Stonehenge were built to align with the Sun's movements, highlighting its importance in marking solstices and equinoxes. The term "solstice" refers to the times of the year when the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky, leading to the longest and shortest days. In modern times, phenomena like "Manhattanhenge" capture our attention, where the setting Sun aligns perfectly with the streets of Manhattan. Interestingly, there’s a zone on Earth where the Sun always rises in the East and sets in the West, due to its location on the equator. However, in the Arctic and at the North or South Poles, the Sun behaves quite differently, rising and setting in unusual ways. At the poles, the Sun appears to rise and set everywhere simultaneously during equinoxes, creating a unique experience of perpetual daylight or darkness. How does the movement of the Sun influence cultural practices and our understanding of time around the world?
1:45 Ecuadorian here, can confirm, also is only 100% accurate on June and December during solstice; you can mark the shadow of a stick at 12PM once a week and it will draw a small 8 the entire year where June 21 is the middle. The celebration of "inty Raymi" happens on that day, perfect date for the new years eve.
EDIT: it's in the bottom of the 8, the middle is crossed during both equinox and the far away part is Christmas
I am in Ethiopia... I am addicted to your show...keep it guys
This is true. I do farming, & observe the sun's path. It rises in different locations thruout the year. It's also never directly over my head, always at an angle.. (here in Maryland).. There's about a 3 hour difference between sunsets during hot & cold months, & about 50 degrees difference in temperature thruout the year. Thanks Neil & Chuck, I found you guys' video very informative.
Waoh maan I didnt know those 2 things
1. Meaning of solstice
2. The birth of jesus on 25th Dec when everybody is already celebrating...
We learn so much because of you . Thank you .
I love listening to these conversations however i would be terrifed to be in a conversation with Neil. I would feel dumb as a brick
Watch his StarTalk with Katy Perry.
You'll instantly feel better about yourself.
Don't Worry, You'd only be as Dumb as 99.999 % as the rest of the Species. So it would be the Norm, as it is today....
Dumb as I might seem to him, or to myself, I'd love to just chat to him for a few hours 🙂
You wouldn't feel like that listening to him. You would feel your I.Q rise
You couldn't be dumber than Neil degasbag !!!
Yay. Love it when the new video drops!
I love these episodes so much! You learn and you laugh. What more could you ask for!
The statement about the sun always rising / setting due east / west at the equator is wrong. It varies with the time of year there too. On the northern hemisphere's summer solstice, the sun rises and sets at the equator 23.5° north of east and west respectively. On the northern hemisphere's winter solstice, the sun rises and sets at the equator 23.5° south of east and west respectively. At the equinoxes it rises and sets due east and west, like everywhere else on the planet. The sunrise and sunset always vary their position throughout the year no matter where you are on earth.
exactly!
Just to be picky, everywhere on the planet doesn't include the poles.
Greetings from Finland 🇫🇮 Here are no Inuits but the sun is shining at nights in the summertime ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
I love you two, thanks for all the hours of knowledge!
*These guys are at it again*
Keep the series coming
Thanks for doing this, Neil! It's so amazing and enlightening, every time. Hats off!
🎶... it's comin' back around again!
The sun doesn't rise at all.
The earth rotates and the sun comes into view but the sun doesn't participate the least bit in any "rising".
It's because he is perfectly describing the geocentric model of the earth (flat earth). With the seasons.
Neil is one of the greatest communicator for science in history.
the sun never rises or falls, it stays where it is, and we orbit around it.
Exactly! I’m surprised that wasn’t the answer. I think they both missed the obvious on this one! 🧐
@@troyhorn6340 N DGT is not only an astrophysicist, but a great communicator. So he expresses it in popular lingo.
The earth orbiting around the sun doesn't cause sunrises and sunsets though. That's the earth's rotation around its own axis.
sorry sir you are mistaken too sun's rise & fall happens due to earths rotation not because earth revolves around sun. you guys don't know anything about the world hahaha noobs.
Yes but i think Mr. Degreaser is taking it for granted that everyone knows that . 🤭👍
I moved to North of Norway as an adult, and it struck me how the locals here are baffled by the notion of darkness during the summer, and daylight during the winter. To them, it's just normal, summer = constant daylight, winter = constant darkness.
Also striking is how quickly the lengths of day and night change here. But it has to change from all-day to all-night in the same amount of time everyone else has.
Neil is wrong. The sun does not always rises in due east & sets in due west at the equator. This only happens during the equinoxes, not the rest of the year. If one wants to be super technical about the definition... if the sun rises due east at the equator by the time it sets it would have already crossed the equator so it could never both rises due east & sets due west on the same day.
Yep depends on your definition
At the equator, every day is equinox.
Neil didn't say that. Listen again.
An even bigger mistake that he makes is failing to recognise that the Earth’s magnetic field reverses sometimes but the axis of rotation is largely static. That means when the magnetic field is reversed the sun rises in the ‘west’. Also there is no place called the Artic. The arCtic is not pronounced that way.
@@andrewhazlewood4569 Please explain in more detail how the magnetic field reverses, what makes it reverse and how come we always see the illusion of the sun "raising in the east and setting in the west"?
Hello! What mic are you using?
This is incredible, and makes so much sense. I'm going to blow my professor's mind with this video.
I enjoy Star Talk, every episode. Educational and witty, great duo! You guys are awesome!
Armistice!!!!! 💥💥mind blown i never made the connection with the words
I think there is one mistake at 1:30, please explain if I am wrong. At the equator during a solstice, It does not matter if it is the northern or southern solstice is used, but the time of sunrise and set is not 12 hours, but a several minutes short of 12 hours. The cause being the angle along the horizon for which it the sunrise happens ENE and ESE and these are not great circles.
Neil was wrong there but that is not why. Look at the boundary between night side and day side of the Earth on something like Google Earth. On the equinoxes that boundary is aligned directly north to south, at other times it is slanted because the north hemisphere is more sunlit from March to September and the south from September to March. Precisely half of the equator is always sunlit at all times since it is a great circle, hence constant 12 hour days, but the direction of sunrise and sunset is perpendicular to the boundary line between day and night which is slanted from north-south on any day other than equinox.
The minute difference in 12 hour day time has to do only with refraction (Sun being slightly below horizon when it is already visible).
2:04 "you might remember those from high-school geography"
Me: remembers Transformers movie 2007
My first job after high school was at a movie theater that summer. I swear I saw the end of that movie at least a hundred times. Anytime I hear Chester Bennington belting "whaaaat I've doooone" I'm transported to the movie theater exit door.
@@mowgli201 I.... am Optimus Prime
When the hands rise and move during the explanation.... I will be hypnotized.
So the first astronomers who observed and coined the east west sun movement were in Equatorial Africa🤔 awesome
Well, equator somewhere. :)
...the equator doesn't just sit on Africa...
@@stelioscharalambides8194 Well, people have lived in Africa for a longer period than in any other place on earth(matter-of-factly on the Equatorial part of Africa, i.e. the Savannahs), plus, that's the cradle of humanity and so it shouldn't be a surprise ;)
maybe they just knew what an average was.
most cultures figured it out independantly, its pretty obvious. Then the word east means 'sun' in proto-germanic.
@@stelioscharalambides8194 ofc, but that's Africa is where the first astronomers were
"It's not like that at all but I enjoy your reference" 😄 Yeah, when the guy on the right was explaining it, I was like "That's not what happens"
9:53 That is, in fact, one crisp afro.
tru
Afro Sheen
Never leave home without it
Barber...🤭🤭🤭
You guys are both fantastic. When I was working at at a job that I had to be outside facing east early in the morning, I was marking on the side walk every day from March through June, just to see how far north the sun rose. BTW I got got the Soul Train reference, I am 66.
I think the statement "the sun rises in the East" is technically true (the best kind of true) 3 different ways. First, as Dr. Tyson pointed out it does rise in the East on the equator every day and the statement didn't specify a place. Second, it doesn't specify when, so rising 1 day per year (or in actuality 2) due East would make the statement true as well. Third, it never specifies Due East, and if the Sun rises to the North East, that is still largely East. The point of the saying is the Sun rises in the East (not the West) and sets in the West (not the East). So unless Superman decides to spin the Earth backwards, we can be reasonably certain the sun will not rise in the West.
Great day Dr. Neil...I do not recall seeing the great planet parade alignment 7-4-2020 and its significance. Has any of your patreon followers asked that question for addressing?
I live one hour away from the equator (0.38°) i can tell the sun always seem to appear and set in the same place
0.38°
He meant what he said and he meant inches
James Biggar thanks my bad!
Taboo Groundhog north? Where are you? Australia?
@Flash Berner There's internet available all over the equator. It's the arctic you would question.
Great explainer guys.
As soon as I see Chuck is with you I hit the like button
Me: "Hey Neil am stuck on I-95 North, I'll be there in a minute"
Neil: " But are you really??"
Me: " Pretty sure man"
Neil: "Oh, do I have a story for you"
I was actually expecting NdGT to explain that the sun technically doesn’t rise, but that it’s a resut of the earth’s rotation. Then again, he did talk about the seasonal differences in the arch of the sun
His reference at the beginning was in reference to the bible iin which I believe so my explanation is was I born on earth or in space. So I will remain with the bible
Hi, I love this way that you performed these topics. Thanks.
Every time I watch Star Talk my brain hurts!🤕
that's because your brain watches a lot of TV.
You should try watching Isaac Arthur. You're brain will self-destruct
No pain, no gain.
I love these videos! HOWEVER i have a suggestion to make: pls add some animations to kindof explain what he is talking about because it would definitely help us all understand better. I know you guys had some in the previous videos and I used to really like them so yeah!
Maybe we just agree it’s generally to the East lol
djspock5150 East-ish
Sure, as a global average.
I think this is a great place to let people know about the “Relativity of Wrong” essay that Isaac Asimov wrote in 1988. This section of it focuses on the flat earth/spherical earth debate: chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
Here is a short excerpt of that:
“When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.”
Thank you for saying 'autumn'.
“Chuck is into period jokes” 😂🙄
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Period as in time segment.
carultch right lol because i read this before I heard the joke
We all know what Neil meant lol I just find it funny because I’m immature haha
Those jokes are unfunny and offensive, period.
Question about the poles: if you stand at the exact geometric pole: what time is it?
Earth has quite a tilt. So even on the equator the sun raises due east only twice a year.
you are correct. what the video said regarding that looks like a mistake to me. i hope they correct it
Love me some Neil und Chuck explainers! Thanks, gents. 👏🏻👋🏻
Neil loves learning so much ❤️🌟 the aha moment is fantastic 🤏
Even on the equator it's not true that the sun rises exactly due East and sets exactly due West except on the equinoxes. However, the swing of the point on the horizon where the sun rises (or sets) over the span of a year is the minimum at the equator - and lies within 23.5 deg due N (or S) of true East/West.
Hello :)
hello :)
Hello! :)
Sophia Zhou Yo
Hello their
Nice positivity
I have several problems with this.
1. The sun only rises due east on the equator on the equinoxes (and even that is being generous as it's not exact for the same reason a day isn't exactly 24 hours - it will only be exact for one point each equinox). It's visually close to due east for the rest of the world on the equinoxes, but due to the angle of inclination it can never truly be due east for anywhere but the equator even on an equinox. If you're going to pretend someone means an absolute, then you have to be absolute.
2. The phrase as it's misquoted by so many people including the ones referenced here is "in the east", not "due east". (The original phrase doesn't actually even mention east or west.) You don't say something wasn't really "in the car" if it's on the dashboard instead of the center of the car, so it's not accurate to conflate "in the east" with "due east" like this. Since we define "east" and "west" based on the right-hand rule, it is unavoidably true that anything a body you're sitting on happens to orbit is going to rise "in the east". Now, you might point out that the right-hand rule is a modern rule, but the word "east" literally comes from "dawn". "The sun rises in the east" was a tautology up until the right-hand rule. The poles are the sole exception, and no one saying the phrase is standing at either pole unless they're being sarcastic.
3. The phrase in any of its forms also says nothing about "each day" even in the misquoted version, and in the Arctic and Antarctic, it does rise in the east, it just doesn't do it as often as it does elsewhere.
4. The ancients knew what seasons were and where the sun was during them. They had to for planning in even the earliest agrarian civilizations, and even the hunter-gatherers before them migrated based on the seasons. We have found very complex pictographic descriptions that make it absolutely clear ancient civilizations all over the world knew a LOT about the movement patterns of the sun (not just seasonal movement, but procession and even predicting eclipses). This fantasy that ancient people were dumb is extremely problematic. The ancient people had a very similar brain and intelligence that you have, and I'm pretty sure you didn't panic every year that the sun was going away until someone explained seasons to you. It's this same fantasy of "dumb" ancestors that has people claiming ancient aliens must have built things.
I have several problems with this.
>>... but due to the angle of inclination it can never truly be due east for anywhere but the equator even on an equinox.>If you're going to pretend someone means an absolute, then you have to be absolute.>Since we define "east" and "west" based on the right-hand rule, it is unavoidably true that anything a body you're sitting on happens to orbit is going to rise "in the east".>The phrase in any of its forms also says nothing about "each day" even in the misquoted version ...>... in the Arctic and Antarctic, it does rise in the east, it just doesn't do it as often as it does elsewhere.
I'm dumb I need diagrams please
I'm a bit like that, too. Trying to imagine all the tilting and turning!
Bellio Trungy What’s the problem? Maybe I can help
Use a globe. That's what I'm using.
On the Equator, the Sun tracks a straight line across the sky including a zenith of 90 degrees. This occurs only on the equinoxes.
NDT: "If you live on the equator the Sun will always rise in the East and set in the West"
Huh? That's not true. Independently of where you are on the Earth, the Sun will always rise exactly East and set exactly West on the equinoxes(March 21 and September 21). If you don't believe me fire up Stellarium and select a city on the equator. :)
he said it only happens on the equator every day. everywhere else its only two days a year
@@ICKY427
Even on the equator only happens twice a year.
City: Quito, Ecuador
Latitude : -0.180653, very close to the equator(26 km/16 miles )
Screenshot from stellarium(sunrise): drive.google.com/file/d/1Mx7v4klCqvshKNchRZ0oGxZV9eloIpdm/view?usp=sharing
As you can see, the sun is far away from east. :)
I think everybody can agree Neil deGrasse Tyson is awesome the best thing on RUclips
That is just nitpicking, it's still coming up in the east , and going down in the West a bit one way or the other is not really the point in your man's, declaration at the start of the video. It is gonna rise general East and go down in the general West maybe a little north of west nevertheless west.!
@@julius277/ it does if you're on Earth, I know we're travelling around the sun ! why does the the title of the video, say the sun doesn't always rise in the East and set in the West.??? More nitpicking lol
Had a clock that was right twice a day. Very similar
Thanks for the humor and knowledge
Is it really true, that on the equator sun always rises from the east and sets to west? Earth is tilted, right? So... doesn't that mean, that even for the people living at the equator, sun only rises from the east and sets on west just on 2 days a year?
I love these little clips :)
I love the intro and outro music. So 90's.
I love these videos. I just learned a bit of Latin. Thanks guys
I love how good you 2 complement each other to make this concepts and learnings SO FUN!
Does matter like stars, planets and even galaxies themselves rotate in the same direction?
Do individual stars planets and gas clouds all orbit around their galaxies in the same direction?
How do you even define direction? Clockwise becomes anti clockwise when you look from the other side and in space well, there is no top, bottom, left, right or front, back.
Chuck had me rolling with the Don Cornelius and Solstice Train reference.
I lived way above the Arctic circle while working.
Can't count how many times I've explained this to people about the Arctic circle.
Chuck is the essence of this show!!!
I wanted to just provide one critique on this one and please correct me if I'm wrong. My understanding is that the sun actually does not move in our sky as we would traditionally think it to. In fact, my understanding is that the location of the sun in the sky is directly related to the the earth's axis in its rotation around the sun. Essentially, the earth is turning west to east in relation to the sun on a daily basis. In the video you guys explain it as if the sun were moving in relation to the earth, but I understand it as the opposite. So while the sun's location in the sky changes, it is earth's rotation that dictates where in the sky it is at any given time. Just thought I'd add that in. Again love the videos! Keep it up guys!
I use shadows when I am hiking as a GENERAl way to determine direction if I don’t have a compass! This information has added new information to to help me refine my method and make it a little more accurate! Thanks Neil!
I suppose you are familiar with how to find approximate north/south using just an analogue watch and the Sun :) I still remember learning that as a kid, one of the first examples I saw of how the world works in predictable ways.