Oko Wikcemna Nunpa ake Sakowin

Monday, Aug 24 to Sunday, Aug 30, 2009: high 88, low 49

Wingsprings sunset day:
sun, butte, house in alignment
fall’s shadow on door

The sun set this week on the Wingsprings west-east axis. It was too close to decide whether the Wingsprings sunset day was yesterday or today. The series of seven photos below show the setting sun from 7:15 to 7:17 PM:

These photos clearly illustrate that the sun’s trajectory is an arc–that it does not set in a line perpendicular to the horizon.

Late this Sunday afternoon, then, I was curious to see how far to the south the sun would set compared to last night. Thank goodness the western sky was clear. The photo below was taken at 6:35 PM as the sun was still quite a ways above the horizon.

It illustrates the arc of the setting sun because at this moment the sun is quite a ways south of the butte [that puny little blip on the horizon]. But as it sets, the sun arcs northward.

And so it is a close call as to whether yesterday, August 29th, or today, August 30th, is the Wingsprings summer sunset day. I suppose the decision would be based in part on the definition of “sunset.” If it is when the bottom of the sun touches the horizon, then yesterday would be the day. But if the definition is when the sun completely disappears below the horizon, then today is the sunset day. Which definition do you prefer?