Pierre, South Dakota is located in the northwestern part of the state, bordering North Dakota. The city has a total area of 16.5 square miles, o...
Sunset
Twilight
Darkness
Most people know that sunset is the time when the sun goes down. But did you know that the sun doesn't actually set? Instead, Earth rotates into darkness, giving us the illusion that the sun is setting. So what causes sunset?
Well, it's a combination of things. The Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight in every direction, but blue and violet light are scattered more than other colors. This is why the sky is usually blue during the daytime. As the sun gets lower in the sky, the atmosphere becomes thicker and more dense.
This scattering of sunlight happens to a greater extent, and we see red and orange light more than blue and violet light. That's why sunset is usually a beautiful red or orange color. So next time you see sunset, remember that you're actually seeing Earth rotate into darkness!
Pierre, South Dakota is located in the northwestern part of the state, bordering North Dakota. The city has a total area of 16.5 square miles, of which 14.1 square miles is land and 2.6 square miles is water. Pierre has a population of 10,529 as of the 2010 census. Geography Pierre is located in the rural northwest corner of South Dakota and is bordered by North Dakota to the north and west, Rapid City to the east, and Brookings to the south. Climate Pierre has a cool-summer humid continental climate according to the Köppen climate classification. Winters are cold and oftenwet, with occasional severe cold snaps. The city saw its coldest temperature in 136 years, recorded in February 1979 at −27 °F (−33 °C). Summers are warm with occasionalIndian summer-like events. Precipitation Pierre receives an average of 59.3 inches (1,500 mm) of precipitation per year, which is evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month is March with an average of 9.02 inches (229.2 mm) of precipitation, while the driest month is January with an average of 0.59 inches (14.9 mm) of precipitation. Climate data for Pierre (1981-2010 normals) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °F (°C) 16.7
}As the sun sets, the sky slowly grows dark. For many people, this is a time to relax and wind down for the day. But have you ever wondered exactly when it gets dark? The answer may surprise you.
Did you know that darkness actually begins long before the sun sets? As the sun gets lower in the sky, its light has to travel through more atmosphere. This filters out some of the blue light, making the sun look redder. At the same time, shadows get longer and darker. So by the time the sun finally dips below the horizon, darkness has already begun to fall.
Of course, not all places on Earth experience darkness at the same time. Near the equator, the sun sets and rises almost directly overhead. This means that there is less of a difference between daytime and nighttime. Closer to the poles, however, the sun stays low in the sky for much of the year. This leads to longer periods of darkness during wintertime.