Re: Length of magic light dependant on latitude...

Pete Bridgwood wrote:
Hi,

Don't know if anyone can help here but here goes:

I am a photographer living in the midlands in the UK. I recently visited Scotland (Skye) in March and was surprised at how much longer the beautiful colours around sunset and sunrise (magic light) were visible in the sky when in Scotland compared to further south. It seems that in Nottingham, whenever there is a nice pink sky, it only ever lasts for maybe 10 minutes. In Skye the sky was a wash of colour for what seemed like 30 minutes or more.

I have looked at length of sunrise - this is slightly longer in the north at some times in the year (only by about 5 mins though).

I have checked the times of civil twilight and again cannot find an explanation for this phenomenon.

Has anyone got an explanation that I could understand?

Cheers
Pete

I can think of two possibilities, one astronomical and one geographical.

First, as one moves farther from the equator, the sun's apparent path
near sunrise and sunset makes a shallower angle with the horizon.
Twilight lasts longer at higher latitudes. But there's only 4 degrees
difference between Nottingham and Skye.

Second, and in my opinion more plausible, is that the terrain to the
west of Nottingham casts shadows in the sky (seriously!) at sunset.
You won't have this effect with the sea horizon on Skye.

Hope this helps.

-- Bill Owen

.

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