The sun's position is actually its position 8 minutes ago?

Let's say it is noon. That is, the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
But the light from the sun takes ~8 minutes to reach us. So, when we see the
sun at its highest point at the sky, hasn't the sun actually passed that
position? Aren't we seeing the sun in the position it was in 8 minutes ago?

"Jack Fu" wrote in message
...
Let's say it is noon. That is, the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
But the light from the sun takes ~8 minutes to reach us. So, when we see
the sun at its highest point at the sky, hasn't the sun actually passed
that position? Aren't we seeing the sun in the position it was in 8
minutes ago?

That is true and the same goes for anything else we see in space....a galaxy
like andromeda is 2.2 million light years away so we see it as it was 2.2
million years ago....#

toxic

Jack Fu wrote:
Let's say it is noon. That is, the sun is at its highest point in the
sky.
But the light from the sun takes ~8 minutes to reach us. So, when we
see the
sun at its highest point at the sky, hasn't the sun actually passed
that
position? Aren't we seeing the sun in the position it was in 8
minutes ago?


The Sun doesn't move across the sky. The Earth rotates. So why should
the Sun be anywhere other than where you see it?

Double-A

SOLAR ASTRONOMY (don't you just Love it?)

"Jack Fu" wrote in message
...
Let's say it is noon. That is, the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
But the light from the sun takes ~8 minutes to reach us. So, when we see
the
sun at its highest point at the sky, hasn't the sun actually passed that
position? Aren't we seeing the sun in the position it was in 8 minutes
ago?



Interesting proposal, Mr. Fu.

You seem to be raising several questions:
Since the Earth rotates once every 24 hours or so, the Sun's apparent
position may have changed by a certain number of degrees. So how many
degrees is the "real" Sun ahead (to the West) of its visible position in the
sky? (Let's keep in mind that the apparent diameter of the Sun as seen from
Earth is half a degree.)

AND:
Would any effects of the Sun which travel at the speed of radiation (such as
light) seem to emanate from the apparent position of the Sun which you see
from Earth?
Would any effects of the Sun which are instantaneous (some people think that
gravitational effects are instant), would these have to emanate from the
Sun's "real" position out "ahead" (to the West) of the position you see it?
Also, would any effects of the Sun which travel at speeds slower than light
come from some point BEHIND (back to the East of ) the Sun's apparent
position in the sky?

And yet one more question:
Since the Sun is so very large, and since photons going to Earth from the
"edge" of the visible Sun's disk must travel the entire radius of the Sun,
while a photon going to Earth from the "center" of the visible Sun does not,
how much longer must an "edge photon" travel compared with a "center
photon"?

Oh heck, why not ask one mo
How significant is the effect of the Earth's revolution around the Sun on
all these proceedings?

That's "quite a mouthful", Mr. Fu!
Have we "bitten off more than we can chew?"

SOLAR ASTRONOMY (don't you just Love it?)

Dr Why?

Jack Fu wrote:
Let's say it is noon. That is, the sun is at its highest point in the
sky.
But the light from the sun takes ~8 minutes to reach us. So, when we
see the
sun at its highest point at the sky, hasn't the sun actually passed
that
position? Aren't we seeing the sun in the position it was in 8
minutes ago?


I already responded once, but Google ate my post. See if it doesn't
pop up later!

The Sun doesn't move across the sky; the earth rotates. So why would
the Sun be anywhere else than where you are seeing it right now?

Other opinions?

Double-A

The Sun doesn't move across the sky; the earth rotates. So why would
the Sun be anywhere else than where you are seeing it right now?

cause it takes 8 min to the light of the sun to reach us maybe ???

Ixe-13 wrote:
The Sun doesn't move across the sky; the earth rotates. So why
would
the Sun be anywhere else than where you are seeing it right now?

cause it takes 8 min to the light of the sun to reach us maybe ???


Let's say you're driving your convertible down the highway at 60 mph.
An explosion occurs about a mile away off to your left. Now it will
take about 5 seconds for the sound of the explosion to get to you and
meanwhile you are going further down the road. So when you finally
hear the sound from the explosion, will you hear the sound coming from
the exact direction of the explosion site, or from it's direction from
you as of 5 seconds ago?

Double-A

Obviously double-a is correct from a strict point of view, but we ALL know
what the OP actually was asking (is that what the position of the sun in
releation to the horizon). I'm sure he isn't confused by the answers he's
gotten though. Just to be sure, lemme try and answer both questions
succunctly.

1. Yes, as it relates to it's APPARENT motion in our sky, you are seeing
where it was 8 minutes ago.

2. But as Double-A pointed out, it is not the sun moving, but the earth
rotating. The sun moves, but in 8 minutes, not far enough to be meaningful
in this question. So, the sun is in the same place it was 8 minutes ago,
meaning that you are seeing both where it was 8 minutes aga AND where it is
now, kinda like driving by a stationary object and seeing it go by.

Jack Fu wrote:
Let's say it is noon. That is, the sun is at its highest point in the
sky.
But the light from the sun takes ~8 minutes to reach us. So, when we
see the
sun at its highest point at the sky, hasn't the sun actually passed
that
position? Aren't we seeing the sun in the position it was in 8
minutes ago?

Meaning we see it as it was 8 minutes ago