Why is it still bright at 6pm, these are the causative factors

JAKARTA – Sun sunrise and sunset in Indonesia actually do not differ significantly throughout the year because of its position close to the equator. It’s just that in recent days the sun has set rather slowly so that at 18.00 WIB or 6 pm still light .

Information from the world data page, today, Wednesday (25/1/2023), the sun in Jakarta rises at 5:51 WIB and sets around 18.17 WIB. This fact shows that at 6 pm in Jakarta the sun looks still bright, unless the weather is cloudy or raining.

Jakarta is located at 6 degrees south latitude and thus very close to the equator. In general, it is the same as many other cities in Indonesia which are close to the equator.

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So when the Sun swings north at mid-year and south at the turn of the year, it doesn’t go very far. It is estimated that the longest daylight in Indonesia occurs for 12.30 hours in December and the longest night of around 13 hours occurs in June.

Indonesia’s position which is very close to the equator also does not cause a significant difference when the sun sets between June and December. In Indonesia, the average sunset time difference is only 24 minutes, while in the US or Europe it can differ by almost an hour.

In December to January, usually the southern region of Indonesia will experience slightly longer daylight hours. As a result, when it enters 18.00 or 6 pm the sky is still bright and it is not even Maghrib time yet.

This phenomenon occurs repeatedly every year and will return to normal again when the Sun is right at the equator on March 23. At that time, the length of day and night around the world was the same.

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The phenomenon at 6 pm that is still bright also occurs due to the apparent motion of the Sun every year starting December 22. At that time, the sun is right at 23.5 degrees south latitude. This position makes this region experience longer days than nights, including in the south of the Equator such as Java Island.

SINDOnews wrote on the phenomenon at 6 pm on January 25, 2022 with the title “Sunsets Late at the End of January, Here’s LAPAN’s Complete Explanation”. It was stated that the sun sets later in several areas of Indonesia, especially in Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, from 26-31 January 2022.

LAPAN Space Center researcher Andi Pangeran said this phenomenon occurs because the Earth rotates about its axis with a tilt of 66.6 degrees to the ecliptic plane.

Also read; The Sun Sets Later at the End of January, Here’s a Complete Explanation EIGHT

“Then simultaneously the Earth also revolves around the Sun with this tilted axis of rotation,” wrote Andi Pangeran as quoted from the official website of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN).

Due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation when it revolves around the Sun, this is what causes the sunrise and sunset times to vary throughout the year, either faster or slower. So, the phenomenon at 6 pm that is still bright is a normal event every year which is influenced by changes in the position of the Sun and the Earth.

(wib)