Grade 5 · Unit 6: Earth’s movements

Sunrise and sunset

Sunrise and sunset times change through the year.

The Sun appears above the horizon at sunrise.

Sunrise and sunset

Sunrise is when the Sun first appears above the horizon. Sunset is when it disappears below the horizon. The time between them is the day length.

The sky glows before sunrise and after sunset because sunlight is scattered by the air even when the Sun is below the horizon.

Changing times

Sunrise and sunset times change through the year. In Dhaka in June, the Sun rises at about 5:10 am and sets at about 6:50 pm. In January, it rises at about 6:40 am and sets at about 5:30 pm.

Places nearer the equator have days that stay close to 12 hours all year. Places far from the equator have very long summer days and very short winter days.

Longer and shorter days

Days are longest in summer, around 21 June. They are shortest in winter, around 21 December. A graph of day length through the year goes up and down like a wave.

Prayer times and fasting times in Ramadan follow sunrise and sunset, so they also change through the year.

Time zones

When it is noon in Dhaka, it is morning in London and night in New York. The world is divided into time zones so that noon happens around midday everywhere.

Bangladesh Standard Time is 6 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is used in London in winter.

What I learnt