Observed position of the Sun

Light from the sun and moon and out of empty space is refracted when entering the earth's atmosphere and a light beam's direction deviated i.e. effect is the same when looking at a stone in a swimming pool. This phenomenon is known as refraction and in this case the angular deviations would depend on the respective speeds of light in water and in air, or from vacuum, space into air, the atmosphere.

A stone lying on the bottom in water is seen as what is called a virtual image as opposed to a real image. It appears as markedly shallower larger and nearer in the water than the actual position and without the water. It is due to optical illusion. These facts would not be hard to verify.

A ray or light beam changes direction i.e. bends entering a different media depending how much the refraction indexes differ. This in turn is a result of different transparent materials and because of corresponding different speeds of light. From the level observed very small angle of sight with the horizon gives a larger deviation and for the difference in given respective refraction indexes.

From an observer it would be the same looking up and out from under the water. This other image is now higher, further but also larger. This is the is the situation we consider, but now as the sun the object is in space, with refraction index that of air.

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The atmosphere separates colours as the index is slightly different for different wavelengths of colours in the spectrum of visible light. The large reddish “harvest moon” is now precisely the same effect and it really is larger, I mean the appearance, and should measure so with optical instruments too though it might really not have quite “risen” yet. The geometry here is more complex but one can get an idea from the simple sketch and it is in agreement.

It does look larger, and note that the rising full moon is always with sunset perhaps it has some significance. There is still some disagreement about what causes the phenomena with the moon and particularly the harvest moon, there are some strange theories of this illusion and as to the reason. However such opinions are not of consequence here.

Apart from this and speculating a bit now I think red in the sunset is a consequence such as of different colours as for instance the spectrum as distribution by a glass prism. Apart from dust and desert where there are those spectacular deep red sunsets while at the same time it makes sense that the colours of the sky at dawn will not be the same. The mathematics of refraction would be more complicated since there is no border or sharp edge, the atmosphere only gradually gets denser and also the curve of the earth's surface and atmosphere is not straight but bends on a sphere.

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Also I would like to reason that the sun gives the same effect so that here you have two events on a given day, sunrise and sunset both from the geometry each making daylight just a bit longer, measured at the centre of the observed sun. Compared to the length of an “actual” day, an “apparent” day is always slightly longer. The same result given as averaged on the total year the seen day total “daylight” should be a bit longer.

We do not observe the true and known picture, the angle is slightly out and is ahead, or behind the real sun, for sunrise and for sunset, and a day appears to be a bit longer.

This is my whole point.

In fact if you measure the angle from the sun to the horizon and I'd say by using the sun's centre thus you will not get the true picture the direction and angle is slightly out. In fact if you measure that angle it is our sun's apparent position to the horizon. Of course it would work better if you use the horizon out at sea thus without obstructions.

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Explanation of concepts of refraction and virtual images

The scanned sketches explain how refraction works and images form and as seen of an object in water, as well seen from underneath and as the apparent position of the sun at daybreak and magnifications too. One may apply these ideas to observations of the moon and the sun.

Illustrations

A. True and apparent positions of a stone and a tree

B. The border between different mediums and refraction

C. Sun's position, sunrise and horizon, space to atmosphere

D. Observed magnification and image positions

https://www.instagram.com/full.force.gale/

The scan A illustrates a stone seen on a swimming pool bottom and a tree on the bank from under the water. The (virtual) images are shown. The red line gives the true position and black the apparent image of an object. In B it is illustrated how a light ray's direction changes when it changes mediums. At sunrise, the sun's apparent shifted position (image) is explained in C. On D it is shown the effect of refraction and magnification on both sides produce larger images. This might possibly be applied to the rising full moon with mediums as vacuum and air.