DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Autumnal Equinox, the time of year when the sun is directly over the equator, occured at 1:19pm today. Equinox, by definition, is equal parts day and night. So, one would believe that we had 12 hours of sun and 12 hours of darkness today. But, that really isn't true. While sunrise and sunset will vary slightly based on your location, it was generally sun up at 6:43am and sun down at 6:52pm. The reason daylight is longer than 12 hours is twofold.

First, there is atmospheric refraction. The Earth's atmosphere bends, or refracts, sunlight, causing the Sun to appear slightly above the horizon even when it is actually just below it. This effect makes the Sun visible for a longer period during sunrise and sunset, leading to a longer duration of daylight t

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