How the Sun moves over NZ on the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes. It rises exactly in the east, and sets exactly in the west. At the solstices At the December solstice the Sun has moved to its southernmost point, directly overhead latitude 23.5°S, called Tropic of Capricorn.
Officially the first city in New Zealand to see the sun, Gisborne and Mount Hikurangi(opens in new window) is recognised as the first point on the New Zealand mainland to greet the morning sun.
Located far to the east and close to the International Date Line, New Zealand is one of the first countries where the sun rises in the morning. Even further east, there are only a few countries left in Oceania. Because New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, the seasons reverse.
Chatham Island, New Zealand also sees the sunrise first.
Because of the difference in latitudes, the sun rises earlier in Chatham Island than in Kiritimati between the period of November 14 and January 30. This means that New Zealand is the country where the sun rises first in the world on New Year's Day.
Read any Byron Bay bucket list and you'll no doubt find a sunrise walk to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, and for good reason. Located on the most easterly point of mainland Australia, this early morning attraction isn't just the finish line to an epic coastal walk, it's the first place the sun rises in the whole country.
North of Gisborne, New Zealand, around the coast to Opotiki and inland to Te Urewera National Park, The East Cape has the honour of witnessing the world's first sunrise each and every day.
First, Earth's elliptical orbit means it is closest to the sun in the New Zealand summer months of December and January. Second, New Zealand's relatively clean air means UV radiation is less likely to be scattered by airborne-pollution and more UV radiation reaches the ground.
June 21st is the Northern Solstice and marks the shortest day here in the Southern Hemisphere. On the 21st the sunrise is around 7:48am and sunset 5:00pm in Wellington, giving just over 9 hours of potential sunshine for the capital.
Japan is known as the “Land of Rising Sun”. It is called by this name because the sun rises first in Japan and then in any other part of the world.
The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west in Australia, but not exactly due east or due west. There is some seasonal variation in the exact direction that the sun sets – the sun rises due east only two times per year (the equinoxes).
Samoa! As you may know the international date line is as crooked as the contents of a badly packed suitcase, and Samoa, once known as the last place to see the sun set, is now the first place on the planet you can see the sun rise.
Five suns are seen shining in the sky in N. China's Inner Mongolia." The scientific explanation of the phenomenon is cited as an elaborate optical illusion that requires temperatures of -20 degrees. According to Daily Mail, a 'sundog' or 'phantom sun' occurs due to small pockets of ice suspended in the air.
The wider Taranaki region experienced New Zealand's highest annual sunshine total during 2022 (2659 hours recorded at New Plymouth).
In the Northern Hemisphere, north is to the left. The Sun rises in the east (far arrow), culminates in the south (to the right) while moving to the right, and sets in the west (near arrow).
Being an island nation and surrounded by oceans stretching to infinity both east and west, New Zealand is uniquely well-placed for this experience. The Pacific Ocean gives the days first light to New Zealand along the east coast whilst the Tasman Sea swallows the sun in the west at the end of the day.
The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive (but not necessarily exhaustive, given time constraints) review of available information pertaining to New Zealand's coldest recorded temperature, which is -25.6°C at Eweburn, Ranfurly on 17 July 1903.
The winter solstice marks the date when the Earth's axis is furthest away from the sun — the longest night of the year. In the southern hemisphere, this is usually around the third week of June. At winter solstice the sun is at its most northern point in the sky.
Winter solstice in Iceland
The year's shortest day (the winter solstice) is around December 21. The further north you go, the shorter the day. This means that you'll experience different times for sunrise and sunset depending on where you are in Iceland.
New Plymouth saw 238 hours of sunshine last month, breaking an April record. Taranaki still holds the top sunshine spot in the country this year, with New Plymouth soaking in a record amount of rays last month.
New Zealanders are especially susceptible to sunburn. This is due to two factors of our environment: The ozone layer over New Zealand is thinner. Unfortunately, due to decades of man-made gas emissions, the ozone layer over New Zealand has continuously thinned.
Whakatāne, Sunshine Capital of New Zealand.
Panama is the only country in the world in which you can see the sun rise in in the Pacific Ocean and set on the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the highest point in the country, Volcan Baru.
In its most general sense, twilight is the period of time before sunrise and after sunset, in which the atmosphere is partially illuminated by the sun, being neither totally dark or completely lit. However there are three categories of twilight that are defined by how far the sun is below the horizon.
Solution: The gap between one sunrise and next sunrise is a periodic event which is called a day.