How fast does night travel around the globe?
November 14th, 2008 | by admin |
jaxpilot11 asked:
If you started in New York, how fast do you have to travel westbound to stay ahead of nightfall? At what speed does “dark” move across the land? I assume it would be slower at the equator.
If you started in New York, how fast do you have to travel westbound to stay ahead of nightfall? At what speed does “dark” move across the land? I assume it would be slower at the equator.
3 Responses to “How fast does night travel around the globe?”
By nrao_kid on Nov 15, 2008 | Reply
Your question tells me it’s WAY past your bedtime.
No. The “dusk” line doesn’t travel slower at the equator. It travels faster.
Look up the circumference of the Earth in miles. Then divide by 24 hours in a day. Got a calculator? If not, use your fingers.
By mike on Nov 16, 2008 | Reply
That velocity is best measured in degrees, not distance (if you use m.p.h. the value will increase as you approach the equator).
With 360 degrees and 24 hours, that means it travels at 15 degrees per-hour.
If you’re looking to stay ahead of nightfall, you can try going to the north pole (where summer is nearing nightfall won’t come for months).
By Zeke on Nov 19, 2008 | Reply
No, you can’t stay ahead of a deadline (or a test day) by outrunning nightfall. Even if you could stay ahead of it all the way around the planet, every time you hit the date line, tomorrow would suddenly overtake you.