Home > Night

Night is the time when a location is facing away from the Sun, and thus dark. On Earth, it is night on just under half the planet at any time. (The atmosphere refracts sunlight in such a way that some of it reaches the ground even when the sun is below the horizon.) When it is night on one side of the planet, it is day on the other side. Because of the rotation of Earth about its axis, it is alternately day and night, which together form a 24-hour day. The nights are shorter in summer and longer in winter. At the fall and spring equinoxes, the day and night are the same length (a 1:1 ratio of day to night). The summer and winter solstices mark the shortest night and the longest night, respectively.

The closer a location is to the North or South Pole, the larger the range of variation in the night's length. For example, in locations near the poles, equinoxes still occur with a day and night of equal length. However, after an equinox, the ratio of night to day changes more rapidly than in locations between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. In the Northern Hemisphere, Denmark has shorter nights in June than IndiaThe Republic of India is a large multicultural country in South Asia, with a population of over one billion. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, and is the world's second-fastest growing economy. has. In the Southern HemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth's surface that is south of the equator. It contains four continents ( Africa, Australia, South America and Antarctica) separated by four oceans (South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Antarctic Ocean)., AntarcticaAntarctica (from Greek nu;ταρκτικ&sigmaf opposed to the arctic) is a continent surrounding the Earth's South Pole. It is the coldest place on earth and is almost entirely covered by ice. It is not to be confused with the has longer nights in June than ChileThe word chile may also refer to Chilli pepper. The Republic of Chile is a republic located on the southwestern coast of South America. It is a long and narrow piece of land between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It shares borders with Argenti has. The Northern and Southern Hemispheres of the world experience the same patterns of night length depending on their latitudeLatitude denoted φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. Latitude is an angular measurement ranging from 0° at the Equator to 90° at the poles. Usually, the difference in latitude largely affects the climate and/or wea, but the cycles are 6 months apart so that one hemisphere experiences long nights (winter) while the other experiences short nights (summer).

Near the poles there is every year a summer period in which it is day only, a winter period in which it is night only, and the rest of the year one day and night every 24 hours.

Throughout most of history, night was primarily a time of rest, because little work can be done in the dark. As artificial lightingLighting refers to the devices or techniques used for illumination, usually referring to artificial light sources such as lamps or flashlights. Natural indoor lighting is by windows and skylights. Artificial indoor lighting is by means of lamps, today usu has improved, night-time activity has increased and become a significant part of the economy in many places.

Even without artificial light, moonFor other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. For other uses see Moon (disambiguation). The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth. It has no formal name other than "The Moon" although it is occasionally called Luna ( Latin for moon to dlight sometimes makes it possible to travel or work outdoors at night.

Night is often associated with danger, because bandits and dangerous animals can be concealed by darkness. The belief in magicMagic (also called magick to distinguish it from stage magic) is a supposed way of influencing the world through supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means. This article provides an overview of specific magical traditions and practices. It also discusses often includes the idea that magic, or magicians, are more powerful at night. Similarly, vampires and werewolves are thought to be more active at night.

See also day, nocturnal, Olbers' paradox

Homonym knight