Sun Will Appear Directly Above Bangkok on April 27

 | Tue 22 Apr 2014 10:53 ICT

CityNews — The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) said the Sun will be directly above Bangkok on Sunday, 27th April.

Dr. Saran Potsayajinda, deputy director of NARIT, told reporters that on 27th April at approximately 12:16 p.m., the Sun will orbit and align directly above the city of Bangkok. However, it will not be the hottest day of the year due to other factors like rainfall and the influence of monsoons in other regions.

Thailand is located between 5° and 20° north of the equator. Twice a year, the Sun and Earth’s orbits make an alignment where the sun is directly above Bangkok. The next time this happens will be on 16th August 2014.

Question: Why isnt the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, also the hottest day of the year?

Answer: Earths atmosphere, land, and oceans absorb part of the incoming energy from the Sun and store it, releasing it back as heat at various rates. Water is slower to heat (or cool) than air or land. At the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives the most energy (highest intensity) from the Sun due to the angle of sunlight and day length. However, the land and oceans are still relatively cool, due to springs temperatures, so the maximum heating effect on air temperature is not felt just yet. Eventually, the land and, especially, oceans will release stored heat from the summer solstice back into the atmosphere. This usually results in the years hottest temperatures appearing in late July, August, or later, depending on latitude and other factors. This effect is called seasonal temperature lag.

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