Why Do Shadows Get Long in the Evening?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hey there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do shadows get long in the evening?

The Big Idea

In the evening your shadow can stretch out like a giant, many times taller than you! A shadow forms when your body blocks sunlight. When the Sun is low in the sky, the light arrives at a shallow angle, and that stretches your shadow long!

Sun Is High

Step one: the Sun is high. Around the middle of the day, sunlight comes almost straight down from above. Your body blocks it right below you, so your shadow is short.

Sun Sinks Low

Step two: the Sun sinks lower. The Sun does not really move. Our spinning Earth turns us, so the Sun seems to sink toward the horizon. In the evening its light comes in from the side.

Shadow Stretches

Step three: the shadow stretches. Light coming in at a shallow angle slides far across the ground behind you. That makes a long, stretchy shadow!

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look at an evening shadow! The Sun sits low near the horizon. Its light arrives at a shallow angle. You block the light as you stand. The dark shape stretches far across the ground. At noon, the same light makes a short shadow right beside you.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Shadows are longest near sunrise and sunset. They are shortest around the middle of the day. The Sun seems to move because Earth spins. Long ago, people used shadows on sundials to tell the time.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Let's trace our shadows. Ask a grown-up, then chalk your shadow outside. Trace it again at three different times. Measure each shadow with a ruler, and compare. Look at the ground, never at the Sun.

Outro

Shadows stretch when the Sun is low. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!