Why do shadows change throughout the day?

Objects on Earth cast shadows that show Earth's rotation. The angle of the Sun, low in the sky to higher in the sky, changes the length of the shadow cast behind an object. In the morning, the Sun appears low in the sky; objects cast long shadows. read more

Shadows change length throughout the day because the angle at which the sun shines on stationary objects changes with the Earth’s rotation. For example, early in the morning, when the sun is near the horizon, it casts long shadows when an object blocks the light. read more

Daytime Shadows The animation below shows how shadows change during the day in the northern hemisphere. Shadows are created when an object, such as the stick below, blocks out some of the Sun's light. read more